


Watch Over Your Mind

by mehna



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Crimes & Criminals, Embedded Video, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, M/M, Minor character suicide, Organized Crime, Panic Attacks, Police, Protective Alec, References to Depression, Self-Harm, Smut, University, sappy boyfriends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 03:21:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 140,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12202881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mehna/pseuds/mehna
Summary: Magnus Bane is sought out by the biggest criminal organization in NY to infiltrate the Captain of NYPD's house to steal evidence. Fueled by his need for vengeance for the murder of his father and loss of his family, he agrees. He does not expect to have second doubts once growing close to the Lightwood family, especially his dear Alexander. He uncovers that this is bigger than what he assumed and Magnus learns a shocking truth about his father and his past. With the help of allies he did not expect to have, he attempts to right the wrongs, not just for him or the city, but the whole world.





	1. Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this is my official second fic and I've been playing around with this idea for ages, finally settling on something I like. I've devised a whole story line and hope to post a chapter every week-unless I get overly excited and just post it sooner.  
> DISCLAIMER!  
> -I haven't read the books in ages so going off TV character appearances.  
> -Sorry for any mistakes  
> -All characters belong to Cassandra Clare
> 
> That's all, Enjoy! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus Bane is sought out by the biggest criminal organization in NY to infiltrate the Captain of NYPD's house to steal evidence. Fueled by his need for vengeance for the murder of his father and loss of his family, he agrees. He does not expect to have second doubts once growing close to the Lightwood family, especially his dear Alexander. He uncovers that this is bigger than what he assumed and Magnus learns a shocking truth about his father and his past. With the help of allies he did not expect to have, he attempts to right the wrongs, not just for him or the city, but the whole world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this is my official second fic and I've been playing around with this idea for ages, finally settling on something I like. I've devised a whole story line and hope to post a chapter every week-unless I get overly excited and just post it sooner.  
> DISCLAIMER!  
> -I haven't read the books in ages so going off TV character appearances.  
> -Sorry for any mistakes  
> -All characters belong to Cassandra Clare
> 
> That's all, Enjoy! :)

**Magnus PV**

Magnus leant forward in his chair, propping his elbows up on the desk in front and resting his chin above his intertwined fingers.

“So what exactly are you proposing here?” He asked, trying to sound confident. In actual fact, he was shitting himself. But this ‘Morning Star’ guy didn’t need to know that. Why Magnus was even here was completely beyond him. I mean, the guy’s code name is fucking Morning Star. His eyes were deathly black; he’s almost convinced Magnus that he’s the devil, which evidently means Magnus stepped into the lair.

“Vengeance” he said.

“For what?” Magnus dared himself to ask.

“Asmodeus”

He gulped. “What’s there to avenge? It was a natural cause”

The man chuckled diabolically. “Really Bane? You’re that naive?”

No, he wasn’t. But he got passed it, and wasn’t in the mood to resurrect demons he’d spent years burying.  

“Are you trying to convince me it was-“He retorted but is immediately cut off by an all too familiar, bone-chilling voice.

“Murder”

No. Nope. This was not fucking happening. He turns around to face the culprit and conjures up his most deathly glare.

“Hello Magnus, how are you...honey?” There was a hint of mockery in her tone; as if she was certain Magnus would be intimidated by it. In actual fact, he wanted to claw his eyes out then proceed to strangle the malicious bitch.

He must have been some psychopathic paedophile serial killer in his past life because he was certain the universe was playing a joke, and he was the oh so hilarious punch line.

“Camille” Magnus hissed bitterly.

She walked past him, stroking his cheek with her deathly cold fingers-nails painted a blood red- before sitting on the man’s lap. He almost laughs at the absurdity. Of course she was with him. Once a gold digger, always a gold digger...among other hideous flaws that completely overshadow her beauty. He may have been entranced by her at one point but there are some things you can’t overlook once you’ve opened your eyes to them.

“If you think you can ridicule me, or convince me to be part of this barbaric conversation, I am not buying it. Cut the bullshit and get to your point, otherwise we’re done here.” Magnus stood to leave but comes to a halt as the man spoke.

“We have proof”

He swallowed back the lump in his throat and turned to face the two spawns of Satan.

“Prove it” Magnus managed to say.

The smirk widened on both of their faces and Magnus inwardly cursed himself for giving in. But proof. He spent 4 years searching and nada. This was the first real lead and there’s no way in hell-no pun intended- he would give the chance up because of some creepy blonde twat and his heartless bitch of an ex. He took his seat again as the man placed papers in front of him, an autopsy by the looks of it.

“You say natural causes? I beg to differ” He pointed to the paper under cause of death and Magnus froze, his whole body tensed up and he just about resisted the urge to throw up.

_Cause of death: Asphyxia, GSW to head_

“You were told it was a seizure weren’t you? He had Epilepsy for a while so it seems plausible. But then why did he have a bullet in between his eyes?”

Magnus heard the man rummaging through a drawer and pulling something out but he couldn’t register anything other than the information he just found out. This was not happening. 

A laptop was placed in front of him, video at the ready and he choked back a sob at the sight.

His father, lying on the ground of his office. Another figure stands with their back to the camera. His father crying, mouth moving but there’s no sound. Magnus distinctly remembers his father’s security footage not having sound but it’s not hard to put two and two together. After a minute or so, this menacing figure walks over to his father, places his gun right between the his eyes and at that moment, Magnus clenched his eyes shut. He didn’t need to see that. He didn’t need to see his father being murdered.

Magnus heard the click of the pause button and dared to blink his eyes open. The camera showed the previously hidden figure, and his father lying in a pool of his own blood.

“Who.” It wasn’t a question, a demand rather. His voice so cold that he barely even recognized it.

Another file wsd placed in front of him. A picture of the murderer and his title underneath.

_Robert Lightwood, Captain of NYPD_

“They covered it up, for God knows what reasons and he gets to walk free.” The man said. “We can have him behind bars, after handing this video over to the right sources, but we need your assistance first.”

“What do you want?” Magnus asked vacantly. He was present in body but his mind was completely elsewhere, thinking at 1000mph and he was almost certain he might just pass out anytime soon from the overload.

“One of ours working in the station says there’s a case file on your father’s death with all the correct details, you bring us that along with some other files of evidence on other cases and we will put this man behind bars. You will get your 750k and be on your way, living somewhat at peace knowing the man responsible is behind bars.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the money” What other evidence is there?” Magnus yelled.

“A file they’re building up on my boss. Not much I can say about it but basically he doesn’t need the attention of the police right now. You delete the files and get them to us along with your father’s ones. We’ll do the rest.”

Magnus was no saint, he had his fair share of part-taking in illegal activities so he was not about to question the big bad Boss and what he’d done. All that mattered was his father. He shifted his gaze down towards the watch on his hand, subconsciously turning the leather strap around his scarred wrist. It belonged to his father before he died; he passed it on to Magnus the day before he died-well, was murdered, as Magnus had just found out. 

After what could have been seconds or minutes, he looked back up to the man. “Why me? I’m sure you have plenty of resources to acquire the assistance of above mediocre hackers to get you what you want.”

The man inhaled sharply before speaking. “We tried our hackers but they couldn’t pass the firewall. It was recently upgraded and one or our moles told us we need access directly to Lightwoods’ archive on his laptop or a computer at the station. Obviously the second isn’t that doable keeping in mind the need to be discreet. Our fuckers won’t go in undercover so we went searched for another hacker to recruit. That’s when Camille here mentioned you from her days at MIT. 1st in your class she told us. You may have broken up but I guess even she couldn’t deny your talent, and that says something. I knew I recognised Bane from somewhere and dug up your fathers file and figured it give you more incentive to infiltrate and right the wrongs. So after some long, hard months of tracking, we found you and here you are.”

Magnus nodded absentmindedly. It sounded a lot like blackmail but he was too far gone to care. This man was right, he had to fix this. For his father. “What’s the plan then?”

The man pulled out various maps, also containing blueprints to what looked like a mansion of a home. “He lives here-“pointing to the mansion building “-him, his wife and youngest son. The mole says you can access his laptop his office while he’s home which is here, there’s might be a safe but we’ll get you the things you need to open it fairly quickly if it’s required. Now, you obviously need to be invited, and trusted for that matter so this will not be an easy process and it most definitely will be long. Could take weeks at the least or possibly months.”

Magnus noded for him to continue.

“Our best bet is for you to get access via his children, more specifically, Isabelle Lightwood, the only daughter. She’s studying at Columbia, degree in Pathology, 2nd year. We’ll get you a placement there too for whatever subject with a fake surname of course for protection and to avoid any suspicions to your relations. The dean owes us so it’s your pick, but I imagine Computer Sciences. There’s another sibling there and one other is interning at NYPD. Do what you need to do but get it done. Get into her friendship group, I don’t care how, and soon enough get into the house. Transfer the contents on a flash drive, bring it to us and you’re done. We’ll give you a burner for when we need updates or Boss will get someone to seek you out. You speak of this to no one, and we guarantee to get Lightwood behind bars. If you’re lucky, you can fuck up his family situation too, that depends on you.”

Okay, a lot of information to take in but sounds achievable right? It had to be. Magnus needed to do this.

“Do we have a deal, Bane?” He held out his hand to shake. Without any hesitancy, Magnus returned the gesture.

“Deal”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adjskjdf okay Chapter 1 done. I'm nervous. I've almost finished writing Chapter 2 and will probably post it quite quick to get the story going, then settle into weekly posting. Hope you liked it! And sorry for my ramblings, i'll shut up now.


	2. Restraint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus begins his plan of revenge by going to a club where he knows Isabelle will be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I wouldn't be able to resist posting this, sorta makes the title of this chapter ironic...oh well! Hope you like it. Same disclaimers as first chapter and *** is a time jump.

**Magnus PV**

Almost a week had passed after accepting the deal. Magnus was just about to leave his loft apartment when Chairman Meow brushed up against his legs. He stroked the tabby cat behind his ears and was rewarded with a soft purr. It was peculiar and slightly bizarre to have a home that was completely his own, especially in this city. He hadn’t returned to New York since his father, which was almost 7 years ago now. But what use was it dwelling on the past? He finally had an opportunity to do something for a change, make it right. He was nervous, no doubt about that but also a small sense of pride was encompassing him. And with that thought, he left his apartment and headed for the campus coffee shop, Java.

The walk there was more than confusing; he couldn’t recall the area as well and ended up walking in circles a few more times than he cared to admit. Eventually though, he made it. He was meeting someone from the University for a tour of the campus since he was joining halfway through a semester. He wasn’t sure if being a student again was a good or bad thing. It was weird, to say the least. And now he had to lie about his age as well. Gosh his palms felt so sweaty, what was wrong with him?

When he entered the coffee shop, he was greeted by a petite red head.

“Hi! You must be Magnus; it’s nice to meet you. My name’s Clary” she beamed.

“Hello Clary, it’s nice to meet you too my dear. Shall we get some coffee?”

She nodded and they both made their way to the counter to order. Once they had their drinks, they walked out of the little cafe and she showed him to the Computer Sciences building.

She asked about his interest and why he chose Computer Science. He said he had a passion from a young age and was always making little gadgets and software’s. Magnus failed to mention the main reason though...his father.

“So what do you study?” He asked conversationally.

“Art. My mother’s a painter and I guess I just followed in her footsteps.” Clary replied.

“Oh that’s wonderful! I’d love to see some of your artwork someday biscuit”

She giggled slightly at the nickname. “Yeah I’d be happy to show you. Here’s my number and website.” She handed him a blue business card with gold lettering.

“Clarissa Fray” He read out. “Fancy name.”  She nodded in agreement and they walked the rest of the way to the building talking about different activities on campus and many hotspots outside.

After about half an hour of talking and walking, they arrived back at the coffee shop.

“Okay so here’s your schedule and you start Monday. I’m on the student committee so feel free to message me if you need anything. Have a good weekend.”

“Thank you very much my dear, you too!” He smiled at her and began to walk away but turned back when he felt a hand on his arm.

“My boyfriend along with some other friends and I are going to this club called Pandemonium tonight. It’s just outside the campus. You should come along; you know if you’re not busy. A lot of the students go there so you can meet them before Monday if you want.” She smiled and gave him a light hug before waving and running off in the opposite direction. He walked back to his loft, already planning an outfit for the evening.

***

“Right, so we’re pretty certain that Isabelle will be at this club called Pandemonium tonight. Apparently a lot of the students go there on Friday. You should too.” Morning Star’s voice rang out from his phone.

“Yeah, was already planning on it.” Magnus replied, sounding bored.

“Okay. I’ll call tomorrow for an update. Camille will be there at some point, got some business to deal with but don’t engage in any conversation with her, you can’t be seen together.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice. Talk tomorrow, bye.”

“Cool, bye”

He hung up and tossed the burner phone into the bed side drawer while pulling out his actual phone to text his friend, Cat.

**M: Hello my dear Kitty Cat**

**C: Hey Maggie, what’s up. Did you get your schedule and stuff?**

**M: Yep, also going to some club tonight. Want to come?**

**C: Ummm, which club?**

**M: Pandemonium**

**C: Ooh! Gorgeous college boys? I’m in x**

**M: Great, I’ll pick you up at 7. See you later xx**

**C: See you xx**

Cat was his friend from after the accident. He stayed in hospital for almost 7 months after and managed to befriend her along with Ragnor and Raphael. They’ve been the closest thing to family ever since and even though he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about the deal, he told them. They knew what happened to his father and his whole back-story, just as he knew theirs. They’d all collectively been through so much and shared close to no secrets that it was impossible to even think of one betraying the other. They were all broken, but each one of them seemed to fit like a puzzle piece in the others’ hearts making it just that tiny bit more full again.

“Right, time to get ready Chairman. Daddy’s going to sparkle and dazzle the fuck out of that Isabelle isn’t he?” He spoke out loud, eyeing the cat who held an unimpressed glare. Yep, this was definitely his cat.

***

**Alec PV**

“Izzy, for fucks sake stop it!” Alec tried to pull away from her menacing hands attempting to settle his hair.

She retreated eventually, eyeing him up and down. “No.”

“No what?” He asked, feeling a little nervous about what was to come.

“You’re not wearing that big brother.” She stated.

He knew it was no use arguing so he pulled off his old sweater and tugged on the shirt she handed him. _Hmm, at least it’s black._ She was smiling at him now, looking impressed.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to go.” He sighed. He enjoyed the odd party but he had 2 essays to finish and a report for a case study at work. This was definitely going to be a long weekend.

“Stop brooding Mr. Grumpy, you might just enjoy yourself. Come on, Jace, Clary and Si are meeting us there.” She began to push him towards the front door. He grabbed his jacket, wallet, keys and phone before locking up and walking with her to the club. 

He thought maybe, just maybe, he might enjoy himself.

***

Alec sipped on his drink, talking to Simon. Fucks sake the boy talks a lot, but over the past two years, Alec had grown to like him. He just has that effect on people.

“So anyway, this man get’s all up in my business like ‘I need that, hand it over’ and I’m like ‘mate, no. I got it first. Go find your own’, and he just glares at me like he was about to kill me or something. So we just stood there staring at each other for like minutes until some other dude came over and was like ‘Raphael, stop it. You’re giving the poor boy a heart attack’ and then this Raphael said ‘back off, why don’t you just hand it over’ and there was no way I was about to do that but then this little girl came up to where we were and made grabby hands at it and I just couldn’t resist so I gave it to her and then the other guy with Raphael just burst out laughing and we both glared at him until he said ‘you gonna make out now then?’ and I was just so confused and then this Raphael walked out dragging the laughing guy with him and I was left there and I could have sworn I had a boner”

Alec spat out his drink out in shock. “What the fuck Simon?!”

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened but I looked down and there it was and I was like oh okay. He was strangely hot though, in like a serial killer way.”

“I don’t even know what that means. I wonder what goes on in your brain sometimes.” Alec attempted to ponder at this but then gave up shortly after, knowing it was the equivalent of inflicting a migraine upon oneself, which was not pleasant in the slightest.

Simon hummed in agreement, somewhat vacant.

“And all this for a fucking tub of ice cream” Alec barked out a laugh.

“Hey, man, it was cookie dough okay.” Simon sank back into his seat with a slight pout on his face.

“Aww come on, cheer up, maybe you’ll get to make out with him the next time you see him.” Alec teased.

Simon gives the most unimpressed glare he can muster but the corners of his mouth are deceiving him, curling into a grin.

“I’ll go get some more drinks okay. Try not to pass out from fantasizing when I’m gone.” Alec lightly patted Simon’s shoulder and headed back to the bar, passing Clary and Izzy dancing together.

“Hey, can I get two beers please?” He waited patiently and then payed, making his way back to a seriously defeated looking Simon. _Maybe this whole Raphael thing really got to him; I should ask Clary about it._ Alec made a sharp turn to go back to where Clary was but knocked into someone, spilling the beers and falling, effectively pinning them to the floor.

“Shit! Fuck. I’m-I-Um-I’m sorry. Fuck” He quickly got back to his feet, feeling the glutinous beer staining his black shirt. He offered his hand to help the man up but once he actually saw them, he’s was almost certain he might just fall back down on top of him because Holy Shit, that was one good looking man. He was tall, not as tall as Alec but still tall. Asian features, caramel skin and the most mesmerizing green eyes with specs of gold. Alec realized he was still holding the man’s hand and jumped pulling away. His eyes traveled to the man’s torso, his bare chest visible through the deep V neck of his maroon shirt, the smooth skin glistening with glitter and beads of sweat.

“My eyes are up here pretty boy.” The man smirked at him and Alec felt his face heat up.

“I-sorry, I didn’t see you and um, yeah.”Alec inwardly cursed himself for his goddamn stutter. Could he look like more of an idiot?

“Clearly not” The man lightly chuckled and with a sophisticated flourish, gestured to his wet torso.  

“You’re all sticky”

The man bit his lip and raised an eyebrow in question.

“I mean, I spilt beer on you and you’re all sticky. Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, it’s okay.” Alec just stared at the man who held his gaze just as strongly.

“Dios mio just go clean up idiota” Someone spoke beside the beautiful man but Alec didn't register it or the person.

“Let’s go get cleared up shall we? Raphael, I’ll be back in 5 minutes.” And he grabbed Alec’s hand before he even got an answer, weaving through the crowd to the toilets.

 _Raphael...Raphael_? That name sounded so familiar but all Alec could think about is this stranger, and their entwined hands.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus had spent the last hour talking with Cat and Raphael; it’s been quite a nice catch up. It felt just like old times, of course minus Ragnor, the grumpy bastard left after 10 minutes of being there.

He’d been slowly watching over Isabelle, devising some sort of plan of action but it all coming to an immediate stop when he saw her dancing with no other than Clary. He knew Clary has a boyfriend, she said so earlier, but they were both looking at each other adoringly. He needed a backup plan.

While vacantly listening to Raphael and Cat talk, he let his gaze wander over the club scene, spotting a familiar face.

“Hey Raphael, look! It’s your ice cream boy!” Magnus laughed while watching Raphael squirm in his seat. “Let’s go over and talk to him, maybe you can make out this time!”

Raphael shot him a deathly stare while Cat giggled behind her drink. Magnus absentmindedly continued looking over the club and then spots bitchy bitch; she caught his gaze and beckoned him over.

Magnus excused himself and then walked over to her; she instantly pulled him into the hallway at the side, away from prying eyes.

“Isabelle won’t work” she stateed matter of factly, awkwardly glancing anywhere but him.

“And why not?” he retorted, never once looking away from her.

“She’s been making heart eyes at the red head all evening, if you didn’t notice.”

“So what?”

“So, Magnus, from what I remember, you have dick, not a vagina.”

Magnus ignored her comment. “The red head, Clary, has a boyfriend so it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh please, they’re eye-fucking each other Magnus. You have to fix this.” She fiddled with her bracelets anxiously.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you high?”

Her eyes darted to him and there was almost a tinge of fear in them. Magnus was so close to feeling pity but quickly shook it away when her icy cold glare came back. “No, I’m not. I just can’t risk being seen. So I’m gonna make this quick. The brother is here too. His name is Alexander but goes by Alec or whatever. I know you think so fucking highly of yourself and believe you can seduce Isabelle but I doubt your talents. Plus Intel says she’s not on good terms with the parents at the moment so Boss told me to decide for you and I decide the boy. ” Magnus scoffed. “Go for the boy instead, easy target.”

“What does he look like?” Magnus asked, considering the prospect but also simultaneously wondering why Camille was acting weird.

“I don’t know”

“Oh wow, that was so helpful, thank you.”

“Fuck off”

“Gladly” Magnus turned to walk away but she gripped his arm tight holding him in place.

“Please, just go for the boy. It’ll be quicker.”

Magnus saw the panic in her eyes and began to speculate why the hell she would need this to go quick. “Why do you need it to go quick?”

When she didn’t reply, he voiced his question again and almost yelped as she abruptly met his eyes and yelled.

“BECAUSE I FUCKING DO OKAY!” she let out a huff and goes back to looking away from Magnus. “I owe them some money, and the quicker you get this done, the more they make, the less they come after me. Got it?”

“Why do I feel violated all of a sudden?” So she was using him as a bargaining chip as well. Gave them information about Magnus knowing he’d be useful and that gets her out of her impending debt. Then they use him because they know he’ll do it for his father. What a sick, sick game this is to them. If it was not for the elephant in the room-being Robert fucking Lightwood, a murderer-Magnus was sure he’d retaliate and let all hell break loose on these blackmailing sons of bitches. “Fine, I’ll go for the boy and make it quick. Not for you though, and it sure as shit isn’t for your Boss, this is for me.” And with that, he left her there making his way to the back to his table.

He was infuriated, people incessantly using him. She used him once before and now he’s letting her walk all over him once again. She was relentless. He wanted to go back and strangle the living daylights out of her. Rage was boiling inside of him as he clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. Raphael must have caught on as within an instant, he was by Magnus’ side.

“Hermano, what is it?” Raphael was talking softly, which was unusual for him. And Magnus snapped. He couldn’t do this. He turned to go back to Camille and in every language possible tell her to fuck off. _Stupid fucking bitch, such a cow. You’re an idiot Magn-_

Magnus’ thoughts were interrupted as he was tackled to the floor, pinned down by what seemed to be a complete fucking giant. Oh, great, he was covered in beer too.

The giant got up and held his hand out, mumbling curses about God knows what, Magnus couldn’t think as he got up. His thoughts almost driving him to the periphery of his sanity, breathing becoming irregular and unsteady thinking about killing Camille, killing himself, killing this giant goof, whether he should go through with the plan, the fact that his hand was still held by this giant goo- and then he saw him. Magnus’ breath hitched in his throat at the sight and all previous thoughts and signs of a threatening panic attack dissipated just like that. A mop of black tousled hair, sharp jaw line and intensely captivating hazel eyes staring down at him. He was ethereal.

His eyes traveled lower to Magnus’ torso and he just couldn’t help it. “My eyes are up here pretty boy” Magnus smirked, and then proceeded to die as this giant blushed, the tips of his ears turning pink. Okay, he was more than a giant, he was an adorable, sexy as fuck giant that Magnus just wanted to devour there and then.

“I-sorry, I didn’t see you and um, yeah.” Oh dear lord, he stutters. This was too much for Magnus.

“Clearly not” Magnus vaguely gestured to his torso that was now drenched in beer.

“You’re all sticky” He stated. Oh God, Magnus could make so many shameless innuendos but takes pity on the poor boy and decides to bite back his comment, quirking an eyebrow up instead.

“I mean, I spilt beer on you and you’re all sticky. Sorry.” Magnus didn't care and he most definitely didn’t want apologies. Magnus wanted  _him._

“Stop apologizing, it’s okay.”

“Dios mio just go clean up idiota” Raphael spoke up after what felt like years of them two staring at each other.

_Right, clean up, Magnus. You have to make a good impression on a certain Lightwood. Remember why you’re here. Don’t get distracted God damn it! Go to the bathroom, clean up and then leave the boy, start the mission._

“Let’s go get cleared up shall we? Raphael, I’ll be back in 5 minutes.” Magnus took the strangers hand in his own, attempting to ignore the heat emanating off said hand and what it did to his body, then pursued to drag him towards the restrooms all the while trying to tell himself to remain calm and keep his mind clear. He has a mission. A duty.

They arrived in the restroom and Magnus dampened a few paper towels before passing them over. He obtained some for himself and began to dab down his chest, undoing the buttons to air his shirt under the hand dryer.

Magnus looked back while drying his shirt to see the other man has removed his own, and _wow._ He ogled at the half naked man. The fine chest hair, toned arms and defined abs. Magnus’ curiosity burned at a couple of tattoos, one particular one poking out of the waistband of his tight jeans that sculpt his ass perfectly. Magnus wanted to kiss, lick and bite every crevice of that godly sculpted torso.

The man noticed him gawking and locked their eyes. Hazel beams electrifying Magnus’ whole body to the core that he felt so close to passing out.

_Don’t give in, don’t give in. Stick to the task at hand. Restrain yourself Bane!_

The man shifted his eyes to Magnus’ mouth, licking his own plump lips sinfully while staring.

_RESTRAIN YOURSELF BANE. RESTR-_

_fuck it_

They hurriedly approached one another and hastily crashed their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes chapter 2! I'm not so sure about my other pairings at the moment, whether I wanna go with Clace and Sizzy, Saphael and Clizzy or Saphael and Clace. If any of you have a suggestion, then I'd be happy to hear it. If not, then I'll just see where it goes and decide from there :)


	3. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Magnus meets Alec, he begins his plan of getting close to the Lightwoods and Alec gets to play big brother for Simon who's having some issues about his love life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie so chapter 3! And I said weekly updates-ha! Yeah right. Same disclaimers as the first chapter and *** is a time jump.  
> Thank youu to those who commented and left kudos! I can't even describe the smile I got but think of it like the Jokers, just less creepy and more friendly :D  
> Also, sort of indication to self harm in this chapter but it could go by unnoticed so not going to tag it, just a fair warning.

**Alec PV**

You know that silence between lightning and thunder? When the dark sky flashes, illuminating everything for that spit second and then you know what’s to come. You expect the loud grumble of thunder. You’re patiently waiting, holding your breath for that noise to awaken your senses. Then it hits and you jump at the intensity of the silence that was so suddenly interrupted and you begin to breathe again. That was what this kiss was.

Alec learned to breathe again.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus slithered his arms around the man’s neck, brushing at the soft skin and gripping onto the hair at the bottom of his head. He felt strong arms circle his waist, pulling him closer till to deepen the kiss till not a sliver of space was between them. Magnus parted his lips and their tongues met, familiarizing the insides of the others mouth trying to imprint every essence of this moment in their memories for fear of losing it.

After a while, they pulled back to catch their breath, lips ghosting over each other breathing the same air.

“What did I just do?” the man asked, but Magnus was pretty sure it was rhetorical and the vacant, distant tone in his voice was enough to bring Magnus back to his senses feeling oddly hurt in the situation.

“I-um-I’m sorry. I don’t normally do this.” He stuttered and in an instant, there’s an awkward distance between them that Magnus wished would just disappear. He didn’t meet Magnus' gaze, staring anywhere but at him as if the last few minutes were a big mistake.

“I’m not-sorry I mean. I’m not sorry.” Magnus surprised himself by sheer honestly in his voice. The other man's face shot up and met his eyes with a glimmer of hope shinning in them.

What was Magnus doing? He had to go back and find this other Lightwood, yet here he was making mushy eyes with this adorable yet strikingly sexy stranger that he just couldn’t get enough of. It was intoxicating.

“You’re not?” He asked bashfully.

“No” Magnus replied.

The stranger smiled, the corner of his eyes crinkling in happiness. “What’s your name?”

“Magnus...and you pretty boy?” Magnus questioned with a smirk.

“Alec.” He blushed.

_Alec? Like Alexander Lightwood? Fuck. Shit. Fuck._

“Are you okay Magnus?” Alec asked, expression pleading with concern and Magnus clicked that he must have looked so impassive when the realization dawned upon him.

_Fuck! Obviously it’s just my luck isn’t it? The best kiss of my life and it just so happens to be that his father murdered mine. Why...why me? What did I do to deserve this. FUCK! Come on Magnus, just deal with it, you got this. Don’t get distracted._

“Yeah- I-Yes. Would you like to get a drink sometime Alec?”

The worried expression left his face and was replaced by that of glee. “Yeah, I’d love to. Um-shall we- do you want my number?” He stuttered.

_Magnus, damn it. Don’t let this get to you. He is a target, a pawn. An incredibly hot, sexy paw- Fuck stop thinking about it! You can’t fall for him._

“Yeah, here give me your phone.” Magnus managed to say amidst his utterly confusing thoughts.

They exchanged numbers and got their-now only slightly damp-shirts back on before heading out of the restroom.

“I have to go meet up with my friends but I’ll call you Alec.” Magnus forced out a smile despite the urging need to cry at the fact that this will all have to be fake and one sided.

“Okay” Alec smiled and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek before walking away.

Magnus just stood there, eyes blown wide in shock while moping after Alec and what this whole situation has become in the span of 10 minutes. He robotically managed to drag himself back to his table and slumped down on the seat, feeling absolutely defeated and suddenly an odd obligation rises within him to feed his insatiable need to indulge in past remedies-of sort- that help him forget the pain in his heart by diverting the sad sensation to inflicting pain on his body.

“I want to go home.”

“What’s wrong?” Cat asked while shrugging her jacket on and getting up. “Raph’s gone to talk to some guy; I’ll text him that we’re leaving. Let’s go back to yours okay?”

Magnus nodded, not wanting to talk for the fear that he might just break down and they leaft the club to head back to the loft.

***

**Alec PV**

“Rise and shine! Come on! Get up you wanker” Jace yelled teasingly while opening the curtains. The warm morning sun envelopes the once dark room into a soothing glow. “Dad called by the way, we’re going over for dinner tomorrow”

Alec mumbled an ‘okay’ that was muffled by his pillow and then promptly gets up remembering the events of last night, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“What’s got you all cheery today?” Jace asked inquisitively.

“What? Nothing.” Alec retorted.

“Okay bro, if you say so. But you might want to hide that smile from Izzy; we both know she’ll make you talk against your will.” Jace lightly patted his cheek and exited the room, leaving a grinning Alec in his departure.

Alec reached over for his jeans that were discarded on the floor the evening prior to get his phone but is undoubtedly disappointed to see no calls or messages from Magnus. He goes to text him but instead, opens up the messages from Lydia, not wanting to seem too eager or needy.

**L: Hey gorgeous! Iz told me you went out last night and as much as I am your friend, I’m also your boss and I need that case file done by Monday. Don’t forget! Xx**

**A: Okayyy...mom. *exaggerated eye-roll***

**L: Don’t you roll your eyes at me young man.**

Alec goes to reply but is startled when the phone vibrates in his hands, the caller ID reading Magnus. Alec answered almost instantaneously, unable to hold back his excitement.

“Hi Magnus!” Alec exclaimed gleefully.

“Wow, Alec. It’s barely 8:30 in the morning and you sound too happy. You better not be a morning person otherwise I might have to change my mind about you...shame really, your hotness deserves attention. Why are you so happy?” Magnus chuckled.

“Uh-um-no reason, so how’s it hanging?” Alec tried to play it off cool but his blush plastered his face and he mentally hit himself for the ‘how’s it hanging’.

“It’s...hanging fine,” Magnus emphasized the word ‘hanging’. “What are you doing today?”

“Um, I’ve got some essays and work to do but I’m free in the evening. I mean if you’re okay with that, I don’t mind lunch either, or breakfast.” Alec rambled as the nerves take over his body and he raked his palm over his face at his keenness that most definitely wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

“Relax Alexander, evening is fine” Alec could hear the smile in his voice and disregarded his inquisitions about how Magnus knew his full name in awe of the way it sounded off Magnus’ mouth. _Magnus’ mouth, his lips. Gosh it was such a good kiss. How can a kiss be that good? Fuck stop it Alec, you’re being pathe-_

“Alexander, are you still there?” Magnus’ voice cuts through Alec’s thoughts as realization dawns upon him that he was silent for too long.

“Yea-Yes just got distracted. Sorry, what did you say?” Alec spluttered.

“It’s okay my dear. I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. 8pm, my place.”

“Yeah, tha-that would be nic-great. Yeah. Um where do you live?”

Alec could hear Magnus’ light-hearted laugh through the phone and let out a sigh of relief that his stuttering was amusing rather than off putting. “I’ll text you the address. See you later darling” And then he hung up.

“Later” Alec said to an empty room, a huge dopey smile spreading across his face.

***

Alec made his way down to the kitchen after shrugging on some shorts, a tank top and trainers to find an anxious Simon pacing back and forth.

“Dude, I, like I need your help. I can’t stop thinking about this fucker and it’s making me go crazy and then Clary was all up in my business last night after you left and I just, fuck.”

“Chill, breath Simon. What happened?” Alec asked worriedly.

Simon took a deep breath and then proceeded to tell Alec his story. “So you remember that guy I was telling you about? The one with the ice cream?”

“Yeah, Rapha-“ Alec’s mouth began to form an impromptu ‘o’ as he recognized the name, pairing it with a face from last night. “He was there last night Si, what happened?”

“How do you know him? Anyway that doesn’t matter, he came up to me and started yelling something in Spanish and then he kissed me and handed me a piece of paper with his number on it. And it wasn’t like a peck kiss, full on tongue fucking. Like he shoved his tong-“

“Okay Simon please, spare me the details. I’m pretty sure I’d be throwing up right now if I had any food in my stomach. So, he kisse-made out with you. What’s the problem? You don’t like him?” Alec asked, not seeing the reason for Simon to be so flustered.

Simon gave Alec a mug of coffee and an apologetic smile before continuing.

“I don’t even know the guy. But that’s not the problem. It’s, well. It’s-“

“It’s what Si?” Alec inquired, sounding more condescending than he intended while taking a sip of the too sweet coffee.

“Izzy asked me out after you left”

Alec choked on his coffee and Simon rushed to him, patting his back instantly.

“Shit, sorry man. I just, I know she’s your sister and all and shit fuck, sorry.”

“It’s oh-o-kay” Alec managed to say through a croaky voice. “Just, well. Do you like her?”

“Yeah, I do. A lot” Simon replied truthfully, Alec felt a ‘but’ coming along though.

“But...?”

“But this guy, I don’t know. I kinda wanna see him again. It’s stupid really. I mean he yelled at me and we argued in a store over ice cream, fucking ice cream. But I don’t know. I’m just so confused and I don’t know what to do man.” Simon said, looking on the verge of tears.

“Look Si” Alec placed a hand on Simon's shoulder. “It’s confusing, I get it. Talk to Izzy; tell her what you told me. Nothing good will come from hiding this from her, believe me. Then maybe, give this guy a call. Get to know him a little, I mean you’ve only met him twice and from what I’ve gathered; it wasn’t much of a conversation. See if you like him. Then you can decide whether you want to try with him or Izzy. I’m sure she’ll be fine with giving you space to figure this out for yourself.” Alec gave a reassuring smile.

“Okay, yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I’m just nervous to talk to her about it.” Simon confessed.

“It’ll be okay. She likes you a lot Simon and she cares about your friendship, and that comes before anything else despite what crazy ideas about losing her I’m sure you’ve conjured up in your head.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks man. When did you become a relationship advice expert?” He let out a small chuckle.

“5 minutes ago apparently” Alec answered with a smirk.

“So what are you doing today? Have you finished that essay for Tuesday?” Simon asked conversationally, trying to change the topic.

“No, not yet. I’ll finish it today and I’ve got a case file to finish up for Lydia too and then I’ve got a date toni-“

Just then, Isabelle-followed by Clary- walked through the front door, squealing as she ran up to Alec and pulled him in for a hug.

“You have a date!? Oh my gosh, ohh my gosh spill! Who is it? Do we know him? Where did you meet him? Where are you going for your date? Is he hot?” Isabelle bombarded Alec with her pressing-slightly invading- questions.

“His name’s Magnus. No you don’t know him. I met him last night at Pandemonium. He invited me for dinner at his place and yes, he’s hot. Did I miss any of your questions?” Alec answered while rolling his eyes at his sisters’ inquiring stare.

She opened her mouth but Clary beat her to it. “Did you say Magnus? Is he like super tall, Asian? Lots of glitter?”

“Yeah, that’s him. And everyone’s super tall for you Clary. How do you know him?”

“Sounds like the laughing guy I told you about at the store, Alec” Simon chimed in.

“Yeah he was with someone named Raphael at the club yesterday and that’s how I figured it was the same one you met. How do you know him Clary?”

“He’s the new guy at Columbia. I gave him the tour yesterday. Computer Sciences, 4th year.” She answered and Alec nods in lieu of a response.

“Who’s Raphael?” Izzy asked facing Simon and Alec.

Alec turned around to meet Simon’s gaze giving a small smile and an encouraging nod. “Well I’m gonna go for a run and pick up some breakfast, do you guys want anything?”

They all shook their heads and he left, just catching the beginning of Simon’s sentence... _’I met this guy Raphael at the store the other day...’_

***

Alec came to a halt outside Java and entered, still slightly out of breath from his run. He waited at a table for his order to be ready, watching people outside the window as they go about their days  until he heard a familiar voice that made him shiver despite the heat.

“Alec! Hey. Haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?

“Oh, Seb. Hi. Yeah, um good. U-uhm what are you doing on Campus?” Alec asked, slightly uncomfortable as memories of Sebastian resurface.

Sebastian smirked knowingly before he replied, “Just meeting a friend for a catch up. We should get together again sometime handsome, you know, if you decide not to run out this time” He chuckled patronizingly, the smile not meeting his eyes.

“Order for a Lightwood?” the barista called out, capturing Alec’s attention and he mentally high fives her for amazing timing.

“Sorry, gotta run but uh-see you.” Alec collected his order and bolted out of the cafe heading straight home. _Fucking dickhead_. He was hoping to not have to see the prat again, clearly not. 

Alec arrived home in a somewhat foul mood but forgets about it quickly when he saw a text from Magnus.

**M: Thai food...yay or nay?**

**A: Definite yay**

**M: Okay, do you like meat?**

**M: And I mean the food, Alexander. Though the other doesn’t sound all that bad ;)**

**A: OMG you’re shameless! But yes...to both**

**M: Perfect, see you tonight Alexander. Can’t wait x**

**A: Me neither :)**

Alec put his phone back on the table and headed for the bathroom to take a much needed shower while pondering on the fact that someone like Magnus was interested in someone like him. Magnus was stunning, charismatic and utterly irresistible while he was...well, just Alec.

He pictured soft caramel skin glistening with glitter, enchanting almond shaped eyes with specs of gold and green that he could stare into forever, pink puckered lips and what they’re capable of. What they could be capable of. That kiss, how passionate it was and how much more Alec wanted. Before he knew it, his cock was coming to life as his sinful thoughts send blood rushing south. _Fuck_. Alec quickly turned the water cold to cool his body down, embarrassed by his reaction and not willing to jerk off thinking about Magnus after not even one date. Magnus was going to be the death of him.

***

The day passed quickly and soon enough, it was 7pm. An hour before Alec was meant to be at Magnus’.  He managed to finish the case file for Lydia, essay for Tuesday and get half way through his second essay for this week despite not being able to keep his shit together about this date.

He heard a knock on his door and turned his head to find Izzy leaning against the frame. “What are you going to wear big brother?”

“I was gonna go for jeans and a shirt. You can pick it out if you want”

Her eyes widened in shock and she rushed over to stand in front of him placing her hands on either side of his head. “You...Alexander Gideon Lightwood are allowing me to pick your outfit? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

Alec let out a light chuckle and placed his hands over hers. “Nothing Iz, I just want to make a good firs-well second impression and who better than Miss Fashionista of the century to have as a stylist?” He retorted playfully.

“Yeah but you’ve never dressed up for your dates before, what’s so special about him?” She asked while making her way to the wardrobe.

“I think I could really like him. I mean we didn’t get to talk much but it just felt right and I don’t know Iz, he’s so...flamboyant and out there with his clothes that I kinda feel a little out of his league. I don’t even know what he sees in me or why he kissed me back and I’m really nervous. What if I’m not good enough for him?” Alec poured out his feelings, not realizing he was this anxious until blurting it all out loud.

“Okay, first of all, you’re amazing Alec. You’re kind, smart, really hot-“Alec rolled his eyes at that”-and just about the most down to earth person I know. If he doesn’t see the good in you, he doesn’t deserve you okay? Don’t ever think you’re not good enough because you are, more than good enough. No one can compete with you big brother.” She walked over and placed a light kiss on his cheek then continued. “Second, WHAT THE FUCK ALEC!” She punched him on the arm and glared angrily, all the benevolence from 2 seconds ago completely out the window.

“Ow! What was that for?!” Alec irritably asked while rubbing his arm.

“You KISSED? Why didn’t you tell me! How did it happen?” She jumped, a little giddy to hear the details and Alec rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, we kissed. I don’t know how it happened really. I was walking back to Simon and knocked in to him. We fell and I spilt beer over both of us. He looked kinda pissed but then took my hand dragged me to the bathroom to clean up and he took-we ended up kissing, exchanged numbers and then he went his way, I went mine.” Alec answered truthfully but deciding to keep the part of them being shirtless hidden, not that it mattered because he basically told his little sister about him making out with a complete stranger in the toilets at a club.

She grinned, her whole face lighting up with happiness. “I’m so proud of you! That’s so sexy. You’re going to rock his world” She winked and then returned to picking out his clothing, eventually deciding on black jeans, a dark blue shirt and leather jacket.

Alec left and got a cab to Magnus’ apartment, he was so anxious that he was almost positive that the driver could smell his anxiety, if that’s even a thing.  Upon arriving at Magnus’, he took in the luxurious building overlooking the Hudson River before ascending the stairs to the correct floor. Once outside the door, he knocked; the door flung open, and Alec was completely taken aback by the sight of Magnus, looking more beautiful than he remembered-if that’s even remotely possible.

***

**Magnus PV**

Magnus spent the better part of Friday night frantically worrying over this whole deal while Cat attempted to calm him. It’s safe to say, it didn’t work very well. He knew that this was something he had to do, for his father and for his family. But Alec just changed the whole playing field. Magnus couldn’t deny the attraction or what that kiss did to him, he barely even knew the guy but it was as if he’d found purpose in those few moments with him. It was pathetic, and cheesy, and sounded like it was taken out of the most cliché rom-com but it was the god honest truth, and Magnus was noble if not anything else.

Cat managed to convince him that he was just overreacting and that it’ll work out okay. He just needed to focus to get this done, to think of it as a role and not let his judgement get clouded, which would be a lot easier if Alec wasn’t a fucking God. _Why couldn’t he be ugly? And a bad kisser? That would make this so much less difficult._

The next morning, he managed to secure a date with Alec for the evening without hyperventilating on the phone over Alec’s stuttering, adorable self. He was in a rather good mood until the burner phone’s ringing changed the complete atmosphere of his apartment to that of severe annoyance.

“Update?” Morning Star said frantically.

“Well good morning to you too Morning Star” Magnus rolled his eyes at the pathetic name, and then wonders why he still doesn’t know this guys actual name considering he’s working with him. “What is your name, you never told me. And if I’m meant to trust you in this whole stake out, surely I should know something other than a code name that’s quite frankly pathetic...no offense.”

“Focus Bane, give me an update. And it’s Sebastian” He huffed agitatedly.

Magnus scoffed. “Well, _Sebastian_ , I have a date with the brother, Alexander, this evening. You’re welcome.”

“YOU WHAT?!  I said go for Isabelle!”

“Relax Seb, can I call you Seb? I’m going to call you Seb. I met him at the club yesterday and from what I gathered, he’ll be an easy target.” Magnus managed to sustain the confidence in his tone even though he hated the idea of Alec being a ‘target’. “Besides, Camille said to go for him rather than Isabelle, something about her being on bad terms with the parents and I’m pretty sure she swings the other way so I can’t exactly charm her. And before you go all Hulk on me and get your panties in a pretzel, Camille was the one who engaged a conversation with me, not the other way round. And no, we weren’t seen.”

“You think you’re so funny don’t you Bane? You had orders; you cancel your date with the boy and stick to Isabelle. Am I clear?”

“No.” Magnus retorted stubbornly.

“No? What do you mean no?!” Sebastian barked sternly.

“I mean no, you want to hear it in Spanish? Noh! Listen princess, it’s obvious you need me in this operation just as much as I need you to get Lightwood behind bars, so stop acting like you have the upper hand here because you fucking don’t. You said to get into the group however I can and this is my way so suck it up and stop being a dick about it. I’ll get the files for you and you hand over the video and stop fucking treating me like I work _for_ you, I work _with_ you. Now are we clear?” Magnus demanded, rage boiling inside of him.

“Fine, fucks sake Bane you’re a pain in the ass. Just get it done. I’ll call in 2 days.” Sebastian hung up and Magnus chucked the phone on the floor before collapsing on his bed in sheer irritation.

***

It was almost 8pm and Magnus has set the table with his homemade chicken pad Thai, green curry and rice, along with a bottle of wine from his ever growing collection. The apartment had candles perched in various places, basking it in a soft, warm glow, while accompanied by relaxing instrumental music creating the perfect romantic atmosphere. Magnus was quite proud, if he said so himself.

A small knock sounded at the door and Magnus gave a mini pep talk to himself. _You got this, it’s just a date. Yes, he’s hot, but so are other people. Don’t get distracted Magnus. You got this._ He opened the door to find Alec, clad in a tight blue shirt, black jeans and leather jacket with a wine bottle. His hair was still a complete mess but it was doing wonders to his overall look-that Magnus was unequivocally infatuated with-so he couldn't complain. Alec’s best feature though by far, was his dopey adorable smile that Magnus just coudn't get enough of.

“Welcome Alexander,” Magnus opened the door further to let Alec in and his eyes widen in shock as he takes in the apartment. “Hope you’re hun-“

“I lik-“Alec began at the same time Magnus spoke. “Sorry” Alec gave a sheepish smile.

“You go first.” Magnus suggested,

“I like your apartment. It’s very...you.”

“That sounded like a compliment, so thanks?” Magnus chuckled.

“Oh, shit, sorry. It was a compliment, I swear!  It’s really nice, suits you a lot. You- the candles and stuff...you didn’t have to go to all this trouble Magnus” Alec blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Relax darling, I wanted to” Magnus cupped Alec’s cheek and he could feel the warmth of Alec’s soft skin under his palm. They stared at each other for a short moment and Magnus was tempted to just kiss him senseless, but there was a meal waiting for them and this was an act, he couldn't give in. He wasn't so sure he'd make it out of this unscathed if he did give in to his temptations. 

Magnus pulled back and walked to the table. “Hungry?”

“Definitely” Alec followed Magnus and eyed the dishes. “Magnus did you make all this?”

Magnus nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“It looks amazing” Alec declared while pulling out a chair for Magnus to sit in.

Magnus took a seat and tried not to over think the gentleman like gesture. It was nothing really, but the chivalry still made him feel all tingly.

“I wonder what other talents you have” Alec smirked while taking his own seat.

“You’ll find out sooner or later” Magnus winked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 just needs to be proof read so should be up with in the next couple of days. Thank you for reading!  
> Mental high five for any of those who got the Teen Wolf Stiles reference...I'm so bummed about it being finished :(


	4. La Vie en Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec have their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go guys, chapter 4. It's quite short and I'm not so sure if I like this one, I don't know why but just not that happy with it. Regardless, I think the next chapter turned out quite well so hopefully it'll make up for it.  
> Disclaimers are the same as the first chapter.  
> *** is a time jump and everything below the line is from no one's perspective in particular, it's just like general commentary. Hope you like it :)  
> Enjoy!

**Alec PV**

Alec’s nerves were completely forgotten once he stepped inside Magnus’ apartment. It was bewildering how comfortable he felt there despite it being only his first time and Magnus being basically close to a stranger, and yet Alec couldn’t deny that this all felt so...natural.

“I hope you’re enjoying the meal” Magnus smiled, though there was slight uncertainty and worry in his tone.

“Magnus, I’ve never tasted better Thai food in my life. You’re an amazing cook.” Alec said around a mouthful of chicken and noodles.

Magnus’ smile brightened and his eyes shimmered with gratitude. “Thank you, Alexander. My mother was very adamant on teaching me many of her glorious recipes when she could. We would always cook together.” There was a hint of sadness in his eyes that made Alec assume he wasn’t in contact with his mother anymore. He would have questioned it but a first date didn’t seem like the right time to get into that much detail, especially considering Magnus’ slight change in mood.

“So, tell me about yourself. What do you do?” Magnus asked in hope to defer the topic of conversation.

“I’m a Law student at Columbia; it’s my final year actually. I’m taking the Bar next month.”

“A Lawyer? I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.”Magnus chuckled, “I’m impressed.”

“What about you?” Alec knew the answer already, Clary told him, but he didn’t want to seem like a stalker or anything so he asked anyway.

“I just moved here a month ago and I’m transferring to Columbia for Computer Sciences. My final year too. I start on Monday” Magnus said.

“Oh that’s great. What got you into Computer Sciences?”

There was an expression in Magnus’s eyes that Alec couldn’t quite decipher but it dissipated as soon as it arrived and back was that golden green flicker that burned in to Alec’s soul, so he chose not to dwell on it too much.

“Nothing in particular really, it was just a spur of the moment choice.” He smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and Alec wanted to question it so badly but he didn’t want to persist on something that would upset Magnus.

“Well, you’ll love it at Columbia. It’s great, honestly. And the people are awesome too.”

“Thanks, so what made you want to become a Lawyer?”

“Well a lot of my family are in the Law or Crime department. My dad works for NYPD and my brother is training there to become an officer too and my mother is a Lawyer so I guess it was inevitable that I went on the same sort of path.” Alec explained.

“Well I have no doubt that you’ll make a magnificent Lawyer Alexander” Magnus assured.

***

After finishing dinner and talking about their hobbies, Alec and Magnus sat on the balcony looking over the river. Alec learned Magnus was an avid Broadway fan and he loved Astronomy, while Alec went on with his love for archery and music.

“You play guitar?” Magnus asked incredulously, eyebrows risen in an expectant manner.

“Yeah, it was something my mom wanted to get us-as in me and my siblings-into as children and I surprisingly enjoyed it.” Alec said.

“Will you play me something?”

“Wh-what? Right now?” Alec spluttered.

“Well you don’t have to, but I have a guitar and I’d love to hear you play. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to though, no pressure darling.” Magnus responded kindly.

“No. It’s-uh, yeah. Okay.” 

“Yeah?” Magnus questioned hopefully.

“Yeah”

Magnus rushed inside to get his guitar and Alec let out a shaky breath. He hardly ever played for an audience but something about Magnus made it a lot less nerve racking to do so. Once he arrived again, Alec’s eyes widened at the beautiful guitar.

“Gibson Hummingbird? Ho-wh-What?”

Magnus chuckled softly, albeit a little sadly even. “It belonged to my mother”

Alec felt a massive pang to his chest and a sudden need to hug Magnus, so he stood and did just that. “I’m sorry”

“For what?” Magnus asked, face nuzzled into Alec’s neck.

“Your mother” Alec whispered.

Magnus tensed and Alec ran a soothing hand up and down Magnus’ back.

“How did you know?” Magnus asked so quietly, that if they weren’t at this close proximity, Alec was sure he wouldn’t have heard it.

“I can tell by the way you spoke, and your eyes.” Alec replied softly.

Magnus pulled back from the embrace and gave a small smile to Alec before handing him the guitar and ushering him to sit down.

“What would you like me to play?”

“I don’t mind dear, you tell me”

“Uhm-I know quite a lot of old songs. Like Que Sera Sera, Volare and so on. My dad’s a big fan of them, one of his favourites is La Vie en-“

“Rose” Magnus finished before Alec could. “Play that one” He added, and there was this sort of nostalgic look in his eyes that makes Alec wonder if this song was bringing back a prominent memory from his childhood. Alec picked up the guitar and began to play the intro. He mustered up enough courage and without thinking too much into it, began to sing along too in a gentle voice that added to this settling calm aura enveloping them.

_Hold me close and hold me fast_

_This magic spell you cast_

_This is La Vie en Rose_

The whole time Alec sang, he didn’t once tear his eyes away from Magnus’ and it was as if he could feel every emotion running through him. Every emotion coursing through his veins, starting off with the glimmer of nostalgia, followed by adoration. Alec could feel a sense of peace radiating off of Magnus.

_And when you speak angels sing from above_

_Everyday words seem to turn into love songs_

Small pools of tears began to form in Magnus eyes making them shimmer under the moonlight like a thousand stars.

_Give your heart and soul to me_

_And life will always be_

_La vie en Rose_

As Alec strummed out the last chord, a single tear fell down Magnus’ cheek and he leaned in, capturing Alec’s lips in a kiss.

* * *

 

Wrapped in each other’s arms and a blanket, staring at the starry sky, Alec and Magnus learned more about each other while sharing sweet kisses and cuddles. Magnus had asked Alec to sing La Vie en Rose again and again, eventually lulling him into a deep, peaceful slumber with Alec joining not long after.

The following morning had been just as relaxed. They ate breakfast together and talked some more. Then Magnus had convinced Alec to watch Mamma Mia with him, to which Alec’s amazement, he actually enjoyed. They then decided to bake, settling on a chocolate chip cookie recipe that Alec had learned from his grandma.  Eventually, Alec had to leave for his meal with his parents and Magnus felt oddly alone in his home, as if it were now a place that would only feel comforting if Alec was there. It was stupid really, since they had only known each other for a little over 24 hours, but Magnus couldn’t deny that he had ever connected with anyone the way he had with Alec.

Over the next week, they met up during their free time between classes and had dinner together every other night, each time Magnus cooking a different cuisine that his mother had taught him leaving Alec more than impressed.

Magnus learned a lot about Alec’s family and he was shocked-to say the least- that it had seemed like a caring and loving family. Something that he wouldn’t have expected knowing that Alec’s father was a murder. Every time that thought popped into his head, he would grimace and remember that this was all an act. Alec would pick up on his shift of mood but he would ring it down to the talk of family. He suspected that something terrible had happened to Magnus’ family and wasn’t going to push him to talk about it if he wasn’t comfortable to do so just yet, after all, it was all extremely new.

They became quite attached to each other at an alarming rate and in the span of just over three weeks, Magnus was introduced to Izzy, Jace, Clary, Simon and Lydia and they had all become very close friends. They would spend most evenings together watching movies, going out to the park and playing various board games among other things. It was all deemed so trivial by Magnus a couple of months ago but now there was nothing he enjoyed more than their company. It felt so strange and new yet oddly familiar.

He was beginning to feel a sense of belonging despite the inevitable end that would come once Alec found out the truth.

The last time he felt this was with Camille, though it was more like accepting the first bit of attention and confusing it with belonging. She had walked in, turning Magnus’ whole life upside down and he fell in love with her almost instantly but it was for the complete wrong reasons and Magnus understood that after they broke up. It was toxic. He was grieving and seeking love and she was poisonous and malicious, everything Magnus should have steered clear of at a vulnerable time but he was blinded by her beauty and her lies. She controlled him. She took advantage of him and he put up with it for longer than he should have, simply because he was lost, lost and alone.

After losing so much in your life, you become wary of love. You stay away of anything that might pull you back into feeling it because you know you’ll just end up being hurt again. You accept that you’re not made for love and begin to grow accustomed to the idea that you’re not worthy of it.

Magnus learned over the years to not expect anything from anyone and to always avoid being sucked in to that feeling. He was doing just fine, until this whole ordeal with his revenge had come along. He had planned to weave his way into Isabelle’s life, get what he needed and disappear just as quickly as he came, but of course the Universe had other plans for him. They had Alexander. As if Magnus hadn’t already endured enough pain in his life, they threw in Alec for good measure. Magnus had to use him as a pawn and it was breaking his heart because Alec didn’t deserve this. To be honest, Magnus didn’t either. He was falling just as much as Alec was and their path was doomed from the beginning, formed on lies and wrath. Magnus had vowed to himself that he would not fall again for fear of being hurt once more, but Alexander Lightwood was becoming to be like a black hole: a beautiful phenomenon with the ultimate fate of darkness and pain impending, and Magnus could not escape it even if he tried.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry for this chapter being short and only Malec centric. Thanks for the comments and kudos! I really appreciate it :D See you guys next time! Au revoir! (I'm not even French, I just thought it went with the chapter theme...ignore me)


	5. First Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some great news for Izzy and Alec and Magnus spend their afternoon together, it's quite eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys this one's a biggie (ish) again! Fair warning, the explicit content begins here so brace yourselves!  
> Same disclaimers as the first chapter and *** means time jump.  
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos, you guys make my day :)  
> Enjoy!

**Magnus PV**

Magnus heard a high pitched ring resonating through his apartment and grunted as he realized it was the burner phone. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and answered,

“Hello?”

“Hm, yeah?” Magnus said groggily. 

“You sound like shit. It’s 11am, why the fuck do you sound like you just woke up?” Sebastian’s angry voice flooded through the speaker.

“Last I checked, you weren’t my mother so shut it with the attitude. I just had a late night, that’s all. What do you want?” Magnus responded, irritation rising with in him as he remembered the evening prior.

It had been 3 weeks since he and Alec started dating officially, and Magnus was beginning to slip back into old habits as he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting Alec, which he knew he was doing by being with him. Magnus was in this for himself, to execute his revenge and no matter how much he was falling for Alec, he couldn’t deny that one fact. He was lying, constantly lying, and it was becoming more and more difficult to be around Alec without breaking down.

Magnus heard Sebastian mutter something incoherent under his breath but didn’t pay much notice to it. “Okay fine, what’s the update then? Have you been to the house yet? And when are you breaking up with him?” Sebastian asked.

“No, fucks sake, it’s been 3 weeks. No one meets parents in 3 weeks. You’re the one who said it was going to take time so why do you keep fucking pestering me! I’ll fucking get the job done so quit these harassing phone calls for fucks sake! And what does us breaking up matter to you?” Magnus practically yelled down the phone.

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter. Fine, I’ll give you your space your highness but try and work quickly, apparently NYPD are getting more evidence in their case against us by the day and we can’t be dealing with this.” Sebastian huffed out.

“Okay yeah, I get it. Bye.” And Magnus hung up before he could hear another word muttered by that vexatious voice.

He flopped back onto his bed and pondered on this whole situation. More importantly, why Sebastian keeps getting all flustered and persistent on Magnus and Alec breaking up. It has been bugging him since the beginning and he was questioning what was so special about Alec to Sebastian. Before he even realized what he was doing, he called Camille and she answered on the second ring.

“Magnus what the fuck are you doing calling me?” She hissed through the phone.

Magnus paused as he registered what he’s just done, but then decided he may as well ask now that he’s done it.

“I don’t even know. I guess I wanted to know what’s up with Sebastian being all protective over Alec.”

Camille let out a big sigh before she spoke. “Apparently, before you came in this whole thing, he tried getting with Alec.”

Magnus gulped and a small pool of jealousy formed within him at the thought of Alec and Sebastian together.

“They were friends for a bit, or so I heard, and he even met Robert once or twice and was invited to their house, where he was gonna get the evidence. Word is he fucked it up by making a move on Alec and trying something and Alec ran out and they never spoke after that. Boss gave him some serious shit about screwing up the whole thing and I don’t really know much about it, I guess he just ended up liking Alec.” Camille let out truthfully.

“Oh...okay” Magnus responded, a little lost for words.

“Yeah, listen; don’t tell anyone I told you okay. I’m not even supposed to know. And remember what we talked about at the club, I’ve made a lot of mistakes Magnus and I’m sorry that I hurt you but please, I need your help with this debt.” There was a hint of fear in Camille’s voice and for the first time after their breakup, Magnus took pity on her.

“Uh- yeah. I’m trying to get this done quick. Thanks, I guess, for telling me and stuff.”

“It’s cool. Thank you too, for doing this. I know you’re doing this for you but you have no idea what it means to me. I gotta go okay, take care.” Camille hung up leaving an utterly shocked Magnus, frozen to his spot on the bed, phone plastered to his ear.

_What the fuck just happened?_

He didn’t get much time to think it through as his phone rang again. He’s answered without checking the ID.

“Mags! Hey.”

Magnus smiled a little at Isabelle’s chirpy voice. Their encounter was meant to go differently at the beginning but over the past few weeks, he’d grown quite close to the young woman.

“Hello my dear Isabelle, how’s my favourite Lightwood doing?”

Isabelle giggled, “I thought Alec was your favourite Lightwood?”

“I won’t tell if you won’t” Magnus chuckled and winked, only remembering after that this was a phone call and Izzy couldn’t see him.

“Okay okay, I got something to tell you!” She squealed.

“What cupcake?” Magnus asked, anxious and excited all at once.

“Noooope. Not telling just yet.” She teased. “I know you don’t have any classes today so you’re coming shopping with me and I’ll tell you then. I’ll be at yours in 20 minutes, chop chop!” And then Isabelle abruptly hung up.

“Shit!” Magnus yelled to no one in particular, stressing that he had only 20 minutes to get dressed. He hops in the shower straight away wasting no time at all while he planned an outfit in his mind.

***

“Knock knock!” Isabelle’s voice came from the other side of the door after her knocking.

Magnus opened the door with an elegant flourish and greeted Isabelle.

“You look great Mags” Izzy smiled and placed a kiss on Magnus’ cheek.

“I better; you only gave me 20 minutes to get ready. Being this fabulous takes time you know.” Magnus countered, rewarding him with a giggle from Isabelle.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked impatiently.

“Yeah, I need to get some food on the way though, you didn’t give me enough time to eat.”

She frowned apologetically and dragged Magnus out the door towards Java before their shopping spree ensued.

***

**Alec PV**

Alec finished his two morning classes for the day and then headed to work at Lydia’s independent firm. He’d had an internship there since the beginning of his degree since him and Lydia were childhood friends despite the 5 years between them. Her parents founded the firm and she took over once she got her degree.

“Hey handsome! How were classes?” Lydia asked as Alec walked through the front door.

“Boring” He exclaimed. “I swear to God that Finch is trying to bore us to death with these lectures of his this week. It’s driving me crazy! I fell asleep like six times.”

“Alright sleeping beauty, get some caffeine in you and you’ll be fine in no time.” Lydia smiled.

Alec got himself a mug of coffee and then sat down at his desk.

“What’s the plan for today boss?” Alec asked while swiveling in his chair.

Lydia placed a thick file of paper on his desk. “I need you to go over this case file and go this shop near the mall. One of our clients has an inquiry about his business, someone’s trying to buy him out so go over and talk to him to get the his statement, drop it off back here to Helen and then you can go home. I have to be in Lower Manhattan for a meeting all day so I won’t see you till Monday.”

“Okay sure, I’ll get to that. Have a good weekend” Alec returned Lydia’s smile as she walked out the door leaving him to do his work.

He texted Magnus to let him know he’d be finishing early today and got a reply almost instantly.

**A: Hey, I’ll be finishing work early today so I’ll come over at about 3 instead, is that okay? X**

**M: Yes my snoogums boogums! I can’t wait. Your dear sister has dragged me out for exciting news and some shopping, not that I’m complaining but I’ll be back in time for you xx <3 You can let yourself in.**

**A: Okay will do, and don’t go overboard with the clothes! Izzy has waaaay too many.**

**M: I’ll do my best sweetheghasd[**

Alec frowned at the message and then another one came through.

**M: Alec, it’s me, Izzy. Stop complaining about me to your boyfriend...don’t you have work to do? Get to it! And omg your pet names...I’m dying.**

**A: Geez sorry MOM! Tell Mags I’ll see him later.**

Alec put his phone away to get on with work, a wide grin on his face knowing that his sister and boyfriend got along really well. Alec had never felt this strongly for anyone before and he was so happy that everyone else liked Magnus and accepted him just as quickly as he himself did.

After 3 coffees, a sandwich and an hour and half of going over the file, Alec made his way to this small business owners shop to discuss the situation. It went better than he expected and he was pretty certain that they would be able to win the case of him keeping his business. The man told Alec many stories of his time when he bought the shop with his wife almost 50 years ago and how it’s always been run in the family name and Alec couldn't help but think of having something like that with Magnus, despite the few weeks they'd known each other. 

Alec made his way back to the office to hand over the statement and files to Helen and then made his way to Magnus’, letting himself in with the spare key once there.

***

**Magnus PV**

Magnus was sitting sipping his latte and nibbling on his croissant staring at Izzy with a fond smile as she snatched his phone from him and texted Alec. He was happy that Alec was finishing early today, they hadn’t had their usual dinners this week since Alec was busy with work and preparing for the Bar which he as taking in a couple of weeks time.

Izzy slid the phone back to Magnus, he read Alec’s last message and slipped the phone into his pocket before fixing his gaze back on her.

“So, what’s this news that you wanted to tell me?”

She slurped on her iced coffee and began. “Okay, well you know that internship I applied for a couple of months ago, at the Presbyterian?”

Magnus’ eyes widened with shock and he let out small squeal. “Isabelle?! You got it? I’m so proud of you cupcake!”

She nodded with a huge smile on her face showing her perfectly aligned teeth and jumped up to hug Magnus over the table.

“I can’t believe I got it! Like almost everyone applied to that hospital and they don’t normally take 2nd year students but they took me and I’m gonna be doing a full paid internship this is incredible and oh my gosh Izzy breathe!” She placed a hand over her chest then inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to calm down.

Magnus chuckled and placed a hand over hers on the table. “You deserve it my dear, in these past few weeks that I’ve known you, I’ve learnt that you’re an incredible young woman with an amazing amount of motivation and passion...even if it’s to cut up dead humans.” Magnus shivered slightly at the thought. “Cupcake, you’re going to do amazing. I’m so so proud of you.”

Isabelle giggled and smiled gratefully at Magnus’ speech.  “Thanks Mags, it means a lot. There’s more good news too.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow in inquisition.

“I wanna throw a celebratory party next week Friday, also for Halloween since it’s on the same day and I want you to help me plan it.”

Magnus jumped out of his seat in excitement, startling Isabelle and some other customers around them.

“Say no more dear, I’m in! This is gonna be the best celebration-slash-Halloween party you have ever seen!”Magnus beamed.

Soon enough, they finish their coffees and got to the shopping and party planning, deciding on throwing a costume party because duh...Halloween.  After almost 2 hours of shopping, they parted ways, deciding on meeting up tomorrow afternoon to finish some more planning for the following week. 

Magnus made his way back to his loft and decided to take a bath before Alec would get back, feeling the need to relax a little after the evening he had the night before and not wanting to dwell on it further. He had Alec for now, and they were happy. Magnus didn’t want to think about the future when that’ll all be ripped away from him.

***

Magnus heard the front door open and close and then Alec call out, “Mags? Where are you?”

He was still sitting in the bath and made his quickest decision ever before shouting back at Alec. “I’m in the bathroom, you can come in.”

Magnus heard footsteps nearing and then the door open, revealing Alec dressed in slim black jeans and a blue fitted t-shirt. Magnus was surprised to see Alec in something so body hugging and licked his lips at the sight of his boyfriend...Alec however had a panicked look stricken all over his face.

“Shit Mags! Wh-what? Why didn’t you say you were having a bath?” Alec questioned while covering his eyes with one of his hands.

“Alexander, sweetie, relax. It’s okay. Come here.” Magnus said in a calm voice, holding out his hand.

Alec slowly removeed his hand from his eyes and blinked them open, moving closer to the edge of the bathtub. He took Magnus’ outstretched hand and kneeled on the bathroom floor.

Magnus placed a light kiss to the back of Alec’s hand and stared into those beautiful hazel eyes. Despite their passionate, heated first encounter, they hadn’t done more than kissing. It was unusual for Magnus since he hadn’t been in an actual relationship in such a long time; he usually just had one night stands and then never spoke to the person again. But Alexander was different. Yes, he met him and got close to him for the wrong reasons but even still, this felt very real for him and it seemed like the right thing to do to wait a little bit and so every time their make out sessions got too intense, he would pull back.  Now, he decided enough waiting. He wanted to show Alec how he felt about him and tell him he was ready. He was nervous, he never was nervous about sex but Alec made him vulnerable, and so with shaky hands and a weary expression, he spoke. “I really like you Alexander, and I-I want you to know I’m ready. I-if you are, that is.” Magnus poured his emotions out and went silent at Alec’s blank expression.

_Shit.Fuck. He doesn’t want this. I just made a fool of myself, fucks sake Magnus.”_

“It-it’s okay if you’re not ready, I just felt like you should know where I stand” Magnus managed a little smile despite feeling a little disappointed and scared. The feeling didn't last long though as Alec surged forward and pressed their lips together in a gentle, loving kiss.

“I really like you too Magnus, and I want this, if you-if you want it too.” Alec whisperd against Magnus’ lips, his warm breath ghosting over Magnus’ mouth.

Magnus nodded and cupped Alec’s face, pulling him closer to connect their lips together. He tugged at Alec’s hair a little, eliciting a whimper from him. Alec’s tongue brushed against Magnus’ lower lip and he parted them willingly for their tongues to dance in a frenzy of dominance.  Magnus moved his hands to the front of Alec and with a little reaching over, found the hem of Alec’s t-shirt. He tugged at it slightly and Alec pulled back from the kiss to take it off. Magnus stared at Alec’s toned abs before plastering his hands over them and moving lower till he found Alec’s belt buckle.

His eyes locked with Alec’s asking for silent consent and the latter nodded while biting his lip. Magnus unbuckled the belt and pulled it out from the loops, dropping it to the floor with a loud clanking sound as metal hits tiles. He undid the button of Alec’s jeans followed by the zipper and pulled them down leaving Alec clad in only his boxers. 

Magnus eyed the growing bulge and felt his own erection coming to life. He slipped his hands in the waistband of Alec’s underwear before slowly dragging them down exposing Alec in his full naked glory. Magnus gulped at the length of Alec’s cock before looking up into Alec’s eyes and taking his hand, ushering him to step into the tub.

Alec stepped in and took residence between Magnus’ legs under the water, his back to Magnus’ chest. Luckily, the tub fit both almost perfectly and Alec let out a sigh as his muscles relaxed in the bubble filled, lavender scented water.

Alec rested his head against Magnus’ shoulder and Magnus’ arms came around his front, his fingers drawing small shapes on Alec’s chest. Alec placed small kisses to Magnus’ neck as he gently stroked Magnus’ thigh below the water surface.

“How was your day my muffin?” Magnus’ asked.

“It was okay, the lecture was pretty boring this morning and I was falling asleep a lot, then work was fine too.”  Magnus chuckled softly and Alec felt his chest vibrating slightly against his own back. “What about yours?”

“Hmm, it was good. Isabelle and I did some shopping and got some things ready for the party next week that she wants to throw.”

“Yeah, she told me about that and I told her that you were big on party planning and that you’d help out. Sorry if you didn’t want to, it’s jus-she asked and I thought of you straight away.” Alec said.

“Nonsense, don’t apologize darling, I do love party planning and I’m happy to help. Plus, I’m not going to complain if you’re thinking about me” Magnus smirked and placed a kiss on Alec’s temple. “I’m very proud of Isabelle, she deserves her internship.”

“Yeah me too, she worked so hard for it. My parents are really happy too and they’ve invited us for dinner next weekend. I told them about you and they were really happy and said to bring you along.”

Magnus tensed straight away and went silent. No, this can’t happen now. It would end too quickly, and he couldn’t come face to face with Robert, could he?

“Hey, hey Mags.” Alec whispered and turned around from his position, cupping Magnus’ cheeks with his hands, gently stroking his cheekbones. “It’s okay if you’re not ready. I told them I’d ask you and they said no pressure, they know it’s new and all and I totally respect if you don’t want to come. It’s your decision okay baby? Don’t worry about it if you’re not ready.”

Magnus let out a sigh of relief at Alec’s words of reassurance and smiled fondly, placing his hands over Alec’s that were still on his cheek and capturted Alec’s lips in a soft kiss. “Thank you, Alexander. Can I think on it?” Magnus asked.

Alec nodded, “Of course Mags, it’s next week Saturday and even if you decide last minute that you want to come-heck, even if you call when I’m there and say you want to come, I’ll pick you up myself. Okay?”

“Okay”

Magnus couldn’t say much more, he had no words to describe how grateful he was for Alec and how understanding he was being. It pained him to know that Alec didn’t know the truth about him and that he couldn't come clean. Magnus’ thoughts begin to waver and he kept thinking about this deal and how he felt about Alec and how it was all going to crash and burn eventually, so in one swift movement, he crashed his lips with Alec’s in a passionate, heated kiss.  Alec reciprocated immediately, placing his hands behind Magnus’ head to deepen the kiss and moving to straddle his lap under the water.

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist and moaned into the kiss as their cocks rubbed against one another.

He chased Alec’s lips as he pulled away and got up to stand in the tub, he stepped out and held out his hand for Magnus to do the same who obeyed instantly.

Magnus paused as he remembered he’s fully nude in front of Alec now and a wave of insecurity floods through him for the first time ever. As if Alec read his mind, he moved in to kiss Magnus. “You’re beautiful Magnus, absolutely beautiful.” Magnus smiled against his lips and let Alec run the towel over his body to dry him.

Alec’s movements were so delicate and tender as he dried them both and Magnus couldn't take the waiting anymore. He grabbed Alec’s hand and lead him out of the bathroom and gently pushed him onto the bed, moving over to climb above him.  He kissed his way up Alec’s leg, hip, chest and neck until he reached his glistening lips. They both moaned into their kiss as Magnus grinded down on Alec’s hips, their cocks becoming fully erect.

“How do you-wha...hmm-what do you prefer?” Alec asked against Magnus’ lips.

“Either, I like both, what about you?” Magnus panted.

Alec’s hands traveled down Magnus’ back and to his ass, gently squeezing his cheeks. “I don’t mind either,” He moved to kiss Magnus’ jaw and then down to his neck, sucking and biting down to form a mark that will most definitely bruise, but Magnus could care less. “What do you want?” He asked between kisses. Magnus leaned over a little and opened the bed side table drawer, getting lube and a condom and placing it on the bed.

“I- I want you to...mmh-I want to feel you inside of me”

Alec placed his hands on Magnus’ hips and in one expeditious motion; their positions were switched, with Alec on top now. Alec continued kissing and biting Magnus’ neck and then moved lower towards his nipples. He sucked on one and then blowed, the sensation making Magnus’ erection twitch in anticipation.

After leaving a trail of open mouth kisses and bites, Alec neared Magnus’ cock. He placed a soft kiss to the head before swirling his tongue over the slit, then taking him fully in his mouth till Magnus could feel the back of Alec’s throat. His back arched off the bed and his hands fisted into Alec’s hair, tugging slightly, evoking a moan from Alec that vibrated over his cock and sent shivers all over Magnus’ body.

Alec expertly sucked and fondled Magnus’ balls before letting Magnus out of his mouth with a satisfying popping sound. He placed his hands under Magnus’ thighs to make Magnus bend his knees and spread his legs giving Alec a perfect view of his pink hole. Alec covered his fingers in lube and circled Magnus’ entrance while sucking a hickey onto Magnus’ hip. He slowly pushed a finger in and Magnus gasped at the sudden intrusion. Alec wiggled his finger a little and then began to pull out slightly, only to push right back in, repeating the motion until Magnus relaxed. Alec added another finger and bent them slightly, brushing over Magnus’ prostate.

“Fuck shit Ale-Alexanderrr” Magnus slurred in pleasure and Alec took this as a ‘go’ and began to move the two fingers, scissoring them to open Magnus up.

Soon after, Magnus was pushing back on three of Alec’s fingers wanting-needing more. “Fuck-Alexander I-I’mmphh-I’m ready”

With that, Alec pulled out his fingers and reached for the condom, tearing the packet with his teeth and rolling it over his length. He stroked himself a few times with the left over lube, Magnus watching every movement, and aligned himself with Magnus’ prepared hole. Alec bent down and placed small kisses to Magnus’ neck as he pushed in, bottoming out and stilling instantly as their hips became flush together. He continued peppering kisses until Magnus moved his hips and nodded, unable to say anything to signify that he was ready but Alec understood and so he pulled out halfway before thrusting back in, starting at a slow pace before speeding up.

Alec lifted one of Magnus’ legs over his shoulder changing the angle and with this thrust, he hit Magnus’ prostate. “Fuck Alexander! Ri-right there!” Magnus encouraged and Alec drove harder, hitting that bundle of nerves with every thrust. Magnus raked his nails over Alec’s back leaving deep red scratches as he tried to get a grasp on something to cope with the overwhelming pleasure Alec was giving him.

Alec panted heavily and closed his fist around Magnus’ leaking cock, pumping in equal time with his thrusts until Magnus cried out Alec’s name and cursed as he came over Alec’s hand and his stomach. The clenching and unclenching of Magnus’ hole sent Alec over the edge and he followed not long after, stilling through his orgasm before flopping on top of Magnus.

Magnus’ twirled Alec’s dark locks around his fingers as they both caught their breath. “That was...incredible”

Alec hummed in agreement before lifting himself up and pulling out, making Magnus whimper and clench around nothing but air at the feeling of emptiness. Alec stolled to the bathroom to return with a washcloth, wiping all evidence of what they just did.

Hey lay down next to Magnus and pulled him closer, placing a chaste kiss against his lips. “Hungry?”

Magnus chuckled and kissed Alec again. “Famished.” He smiled.

Alec placed one last kiss to Magnus’ nose before getting up again. “Come on, let’s order something”

Magnus nodded and got up too. They both put their boxers on and Alec walked towards the kitchen. Magnus ran up behind him and jumped on his back making Alec stumble a little but he regained his footing and placed his hands under Magnus’ thighs to support him.

Magnus brushed his lips against Alec’s earlobe and whispered, “Pizza?”

“Pizza sounds good” Alec said through heavy breathing.

“Pizza it is then, and after, I want dessert. Take a guess at what I’m gonna order” Magnus said seductively against Alec’s ear before getting off his back to get his phone, swaying his hips intentionally knowing Alec was watching.

“You’re gonna be the death of me” Alec grumbled.

Magnus turned his head and winked at Alec before blowing a kiss and calling to order their dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished chapter 6 and damnnn it's sad. I'll have it posted soon after I read over and check it. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Till next time <3


	6. Beautiful Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus learns more about Alec and he himself opens up to Alec in a way he hasn't done with anyone in a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyoo.  
> Okay so this chapter is a little shorter that usual and is sort of a filler but I needed to make Magnus tell Alec (and effectively you guys) about himself. Fair warning, this one has mentions of self harm and eating disorders and I'll update the tags as it'll be discussed more in further chapters. Same disclaimers as the first chapter and *** is a time jump.  
> Enjoy! :)

**Alec PV**

Alec and Magnus ordered their pizza and sat in bed eating while watching Teen Wolf, turned out it was both of their guilty pleasures...not that they’d admit it to anyone else.

“I’m torn.” Magnus stated matter of factly.

“Why baby?” Alec asked in concern before taking another bite of his slice.

“This” Magnus pointed to the TV, “Void Stiles, he’s so fucking hot but so fucking evil.”

Alec chuckled and placed a soft kiss to Magnus’ cheek. “You’re adorable”

Magnus hummed in agreement, watching intently as the scene unfolded, however Alec never took his eyes off Magnus as he was too mesmerized by this man and his beauty.

“How did I get so lucky Mags?”

“Well, I believe you spilt your beer on me like the cute klutz you are and then I took you to the bathroom to kiss the fuck out of you and your sexy ass.”

Alec laughed, tipping his head back. “Well that’s one way to put it."

“Mhm now shh, look, he’s gonna go all evil and shit and I’m not prepared. Hold me." Magnus demanded.

“Aye aye captain.” Alec obeyed and wrapped Magnus in his arms as they both finished the episode.

***

“I want ice cream.”

Alec turned his head back from his position in the kitchen to look at Magnus who was sitting casually on the counter.

“Do you have ice cream?” Alec asked, raising his eyebrow inquisitively.

“No.” Magnus pouted, and Alec couldn't help but feel the need to kiss that pout away, so he did.

Magnus wrapped his legs around Alec’s waist, pulling him closer to himself and deepening the kiss.

“I’ll go get some if you want?”

“No no, it’s okay. You’ll just have to find another way to entertain me.” Magnus smirked.

“How about we bake something to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours?”

“Or I could just eat you my sweetheart...I did say earlier that I wanted something specific for dessert.” Magnus teased.

“You’re insatiable." Alec deadpaned.

“For you, of course.” Magnus crashed their lips together, all tongue and teeth before abruptly pulling back.  “But yeah, baking sounds good. I want to see you in an apron...nothing but an apron.” He smirked.

“Your wish is my command your highness.” Alec bowed and and placed a chaste kiss to the back of Magnus’ hand, who fluttered his eyelashes in praise and placed his other hand on his forehead in faux dizziness while tipping his head to the side and sighing dramatically.

“Drama queen.” Alec rolled his eyes but the corners of his mouth curled up in a grin. “What do you want to make?”

“Ummmm, cookies?” Magnus suggested.

“Sure, we made cookies last time though.” Alec countered.

“Yeah you’re right, how about...ooh! Brownies!” Magnus claimed excitedly.

Alec nodded and smiled, then began to get out ingredients to make brownies while Magnus looked up a recipe.

They spent the next half an hour preparing the mixture and chasing each other around the apartment threatening with the brownie mix. Alec eventually caught Magnus by his waist and smeared the mix all over his cheek. Magnus pouted in protest and then retorted by wiping it on Alec’s chest with a smug grin.

“You cheeky little shit.” Alec declared as he pulled Magnus close and kissed his cheek where the mix was followed by his lips. “Hmm, tastes good.”

“It better, there’s like a thousand grams of sugar in it.” Magnus deadpaned.

“I meant you baby.”

“Oh...” Magnus giggled and kissed Alec again. “Let’s put it in the oven and clean up darling.”

They set the timer and headed to the bathroom to clean off their mess, Chairman following close behind watching them in amusement.

“So, where did you come up with the name ‘Chairman Meow’? Alec questioned curiously.

“I bought the little fluff ball a couple of years ago and I just had an epiphany that he should be called Chairman because he was like one of the first biggest decisions I made that year and became like the Chairman for the rest of mine. We would discuss-well I’d talk and he’d purr but it was a good deal.” Magnus smirked.

“He’s adorable and so-are-you.” Alec said between kisses on Magnus’ nose.

_Beep beep beep_

The timer went off and Alec rushed to the kitchen to take out the brownies, the chocolaty smell diffusing the air and Alec’s mouth watered at the sight. Magnus appeared from the bathroom and sniffed the surroundings before taking a deep breath to inhale the divine scent filling the loft. He propped himself up on the counter next to where Alec began cutting the brownie and opened his mouth in demand.

Alec rolled his eyes but cut a small square before taking it towards Magnus’ lips, who groaned in delight at the delicious taste. Magnus held Alec’s hand still by his mouth and placed a kiss to Alec’s thumb. “Amazing my muffin, wanna taste?”

Alec nodded eagerly and pressed his lips to Magnus. Magnus slipped his tongue into Alec’s mouth, letting Alec suck on it as he tasted the sweet flavour of chocolate. He pulled back and retreated to the fridge, getting out some whipped cream before making his way back to Magnus, who licked his lips in anticipation. Alec swirled some cream into Magnus’ mouth before claiming it with his own lips and tongue, chucking the can behind him to be dealt with later. They both moaned into the kiss as Magnus wrapped his legs around Alec’s waist, pulling him closer and fisting his hands in Alec’s dark hair, tugging slightly.

Alec placed his hands under Magnus’ ass and lifted him up, making his way to the bed. They collapsed together and Magnus moved to straddle Alec’s legs. He ran his hands over a symbol tattooed on Alec’s lower hip –the one he was curious about when he first saw Alec shirtless in the bathroom of the club. “What does this one mean?”

“It’s the Celtic knot, I’m not sure what the specific definition is but it’s like unbreakable and lasting forever. Jace, Izzy and I got them on Izzy’s 18th birthday.”

Magnus smiled and bent down to kiss it and then ran his hands up to the quote on Alec’s sides.

“That one’s kinda silly but, when Jace was adopted, he was really closed off and didn’t talk to any of us that much and he had a hard time fitting in. I had a Buzz Lightyear toy and he saw it and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, we watched Toy Story that day and from there onwards, he was comfortable with us and we think of it as the day we became brothers. I have ‘to infinity’ and Jace has ‘and beyond’”

Magnus smiled fondly and lifted Alec’s left arm, soothing over the arrow that was present on his forearm. “It’s to remind me that sometimes we have to get a little pulled back to go farther and to always look and aim forward, to not live in the past and on regrets. Plus, I love archery. It’s one of the reasons I’ve stuck to it for so long.”

He pointed to the note on Alec’s wrist. “I got that on my sixteenth birthday. It’s a sixteenth note, a semi quaver. Music hasn’t ever been my first career option but I still love it and so it’s like a reminder that no matter what, it’ll always be a part of me.”

Magnus placed a small kiss on the sun tattoo on Alec’s collarbone before looking back up at him. “It represents truth and light, giving hope to oneself and to help others who need it too.”

He then lifted Alec’s right arm and placed kisses on the three small tattoos there. “The top one’s a full moon, meaning vulnerability and being true to yourself; out in the open. The bottom one’s a new moon, I guess it can mean rebirth for some people but to me, it signifies that even the moon has half of it hidden and that it’s okay to hide some of yourself from time to time if you’re not ready to show certain aspects of who you are just yet. In the middle is the rune for equilibrium, meaning balance. Maintaining a balance between those two states of self represented by the full moon and new moon.”

“What about your ones on your back?” Magnus asked.

“They’re for my grandparents. They were a big part of my childhood and raised us a lot of the time while mum and dad were working so we grew up really close to them. My granddad past away when I was 15, he got cancer. He would always tell me to never have any regrets when living and always try to achieve what I wanted, so I got the rune meaning promise, to keep that as a promise to him that I’ll live life with no regrets. My grandma died a couple of years after that and I wanted something to commemorate her so I got the Angel wings on either side of the rune. She used to call me her Angel as a kid and it just made sense to get it.”

Magnus leant down and kissed Alec softly. “And the one on your heart?”

“Uh, my dad. Around about 5 or 6 years ago, he started struggling with depression. None of us know why but it got quite bad and when he finally recovered, he got the Fearless rune tattooed on his heart. It was one of the hardest times for us so Mom, Iz, Jace and I all got one too.”

Alec and Magnus fell into a peaceful silence after that, both taking in everything that was just said.

“Thank you for showing me your story, Alexander.” Magnus whispered against Alec’s lips.

**Magnus PV**

“You’re welcome, I trust you Mags.” Alec replied before he pressed their lips together.

Alec ran his hands down Magnus’ torso - as the latter deepened the kiss - resting them on his waist and then flipped them over so he was now on top. He broke away from his lips to move to Magnus’ jaw and neck, nibbling and biting marks along his way.

He moved further down until he reached the scar on Magnus’ torso that ran over his side to his back. 

Magnus thought to how Alec just poured his heart and soul out by telling him the meaning behind each and every tattoo and how he’s never asked Magnus about his scars. Magnus has never spoken about his scars to anyone but he couldn't help but feel safe in Alec’s presence. He never thought he’d find someone to fill that void in his chest from all the pain and loss, but slowly and surely, Alec had been doing that and Magnus decided he too wanted to be truthful, to tell Alec his story-even if it was not to the extent he wished he could go.

“I-um-Alexander?”

Alec raised his head from Magnus’ chest instantly, hazel eyes burning with love and emotion staring right back at Magnus. He smiled a small smile to indicate Magnus to go on.

Magnus pulled Alec up to him and Alec shifted so they were both sitting up, Magnus in between Alec’s legs, his back to Alec’s chest and wrapped in his arms.

“When I-I was sevente...” Magnus trailed off.

“Shh, baby, it’s okay. Take your time.” Alec took Magnus’ hand and rubbed small circles on it, placing a soft kiss on Magnus cheek.

“I have a si-sister, her name is...was Halley. She um, she was older than me by 2 years. When I turned seventeen, sh-she went missing, we-my Mom, Dad and I never found her. Her favourite song was La Vie en Rose, that’s why I always ask you to sing it to me.”

Alec continued holding Magnus’ hand and holding him close, listening attentively.

“A couple of months after that, I was with my Mom in New Jersey. She didn’t want me to defer everything because of Halley and we began looking at different Universities and we went to Princeton for the weekend. We-um- got a call to say he...he was gone. My Dad died, and I didn’t get to say bye to him.”

Alec turned Magnus around so they were facing each other and pulled him in to his arms, enveloping him with all the love and care he could muster. Magnus nuzzled his head against Alec’s neck and let himself be held for a few moments before finding the courage to continue.

“We were on our way back to New York, to get home and there was an accident. Our car crashed and my-my Mom didn’t...she didn’t make it.” Magnus broke down, tears streaming down his face and onto Alec’s shoulder. “I was in a coma for 3 months after that and I didn’t get to say bye to my Mom or Dad. They didn’t think I was going to wake up so they cremated them both and I didn’t get to say bye.” Magnus’ sobs rang through the air and Alec held him close, rubbing his back up and down. “They had me in surgery and that’s where the scar came from. After that, I spent another 5 months in the hospital recovering before I was let out, I was 18 by then and I just went straight to University. I didn’t cope very well after losing them all and um, I was seeing a therapist a lot and was admitted to a hospital during my first year. I wasn’t eating much and that first year was really tough. It still is tough.” Magnus pulled back and looked down to his thighs letting Alec follow his gaze, he then held out his wrists, all the while eyes stinging with tears that were still pouring.

Alec took Magnus’ wrists in his hands and kissed over the scarred tissue, his silent stray tears falling against Magnus’ skin.

“I-I never wanted you to see this horrible, ugly side of me.” Magnus sobbed.

Alec cupped Magnus’ cheek and stared intensely, eyes clouded with tears. “There’s nothing ugly about you, Magnus. Don’t you ever think otherwise.”

Alec pulled Magnus to him as he laid back on the bed and pulled over the covers. He held Magnus close and lightly hummed La Vie en Rose making a sad smile appear on Magnus’ face. His tears came to a halt and exhaustion began to take over as his heavy eyelids fell. He descended into a calm slumber, wrapped in Alec’s embrace, his final thought: _I’m in love with Alexander Lightwood._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some lines from the show and also, I'm pretty sure you have to be 18 to get a tattoo but for the purpose of the meaning I went with it being okay to be 16 and get one in Alec's case. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it and thank you for reading! :D


	7. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Halloween party begins and some breakthroughs are made...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7! Okay, I don't know if I'm entirely liking this one but then I'm sort of conflicted because I kinda like it? Yep, weirdo.  
> Anyway, after a bit of a break, some other characters are back rather than just Malec central so I hope you enjoy it! Disclaimers are same as the first chapter and *** is a time jump.

**Magnus PV**

The next morning, Magnus had left Alec in his loft to study while he and Isabelle made more plans for the upcoming Halloween party. It completely left his mind that the burner phone was at his place and Alec could easily find it if it rang but luckily, there were no calls. Sebastian had stuck to giving Magnus some space, much to his relief.

The week went by and before he knew it, Friday had arrived. He still hadn’t told Alec that he loved him; it was a month into their relationship and was considerably very soon. That said, he had not been so sure about anything else in his life and wanted to scream it from the roof tops for everyone to hear. The only problem was the massive elephant in the room...the deal.

Alec was merely a puppet in this elaborate scheme that Magnus had gotten himself into, and as much as he hated to admit it, that plan was still intact, even if he had fallen in love. There was nothing he could do make this situation any better. Once Alec learned of the truth, there was no way he would still want to be with Magnus...was there? No, of course not. He had been violated...used. He would never forgive Magnus, and the thought of that just broke Magnus’ heart.

However, there was still some time to savour every moment he had with Alec, and he would not take that for granted. His reasons may be impure, but he loved Alec with his whole heart and that had to count for something. He would make sure Alec knew how much he was loved and cherished. That was something he was certain of in this mess of his life.

***

Isabelle had chosen Alec’s costume secretly, apparently it was a surprise. And Magnus, well Magnus refused to tell anyone his idea. They had planned for Magnus to make his own way to venue (Alec, Izzy and Jace’s home away from home near Campus) so that they didn’t see the other’s costumes. It all seemed very pre-wedding to Magnus and he would most certainly put up a fight before admitting he loved it. Since Alec wasn’t planning to come to Magnus’ apartment that day, it was a big shock when he came in, absolutely fuming.

He stormed into Magnus’ bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks to see Magnus dripping wet and only a towel wrapped around his waist. Magnus smirked as Alec stared at him, lust and desire burning in his beautiful eyes.

“Was there something you needed, Alexander?”

“Hm? Wh-what?” Alec shook his head as if to dispose of his thoughts and gathered himself. “Yeah, I uh- Oh, right! Fucking Jace!” He exasperated.

“I am well aware that the blondie can be...irritable at times, but what’s wrong my dear?” Magnus asked in concern.

“He STOLE my pumpkin. MY pumpkin.” Alec claimed as if it was obvious why he was infuriated.

“...oh?” Magnus inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“I bought this pumpkin. This perfect round pumpkin and I was gonna carve it because it was like the most perfect pumpkin, and then Jace goes and fucking carves my pumpkin! Acting like he owns the fucking damn thing and it was mine! And now I don’t have my perfect pumpkin.”

Magnus had to hold back a giggle, not because he thought it was silly or unreasonable for Alec to be this furious, but because he just found it goddamn adorable. How grumpy Alec was over this matter.

“Ohh my muffin, come here, come” Magnus beckoned, watching as Alec dragged himself across the room towards Magnus who embraced him.

“I’m sorry. Jace obviously I’m not speaking to right now, Izzy just told me to fuck off because she was busy doing her makeup or whatever and Lydia is busy. Clary is busy and Simon is with Raphael. I didn’t know who else to talk to.” Alec apologised, warm breath ghosting over Magnus’ neck.

“It’s okay my sweetheart, I’ll always be here to liste- hold on, backtrack. Samuel is with Raphael? My Raphael?” Magnus asked incredulously.

“Mhm, something about meeting for a coffee or whatever” Alec explained.

 “Wow, I never thought it’d actually happen.” Magnus said bewildered.

“I don’t think they’re together or anything, just friends at the moment. Simon has a thing for Izzy and he’s just taking some time to figure out what he wants I guess” Alec said more to himself than Magnus.

“Right, well Alexander, I’d love to stay here and talk but, we have a party to attend and I don’t want to spoil my costume surprise so shoo. Go, shoo” Magnus ushered Alec out to the front door.

“Okay okay, I’m going, anyone would think you didn’t like my presence” Alec feigned distress. 

“You and I both know very well that that is not the case my darling angel” Magnus retorted with a kiss on Alec’s cheek, not noticing how he blushed at Magnus’ ease with calling him ‘his angel’ like his Grandmother had done once.

Alec left Magnus to get ready for the party and Magnus grinned at the sight of his costume, all worries and concerns about the future temporarily replaced by gaiety and exhilaration for the forthcoming evening.

**Alec PV**

Alec went home after barging into Magnus’ loft to voice his anger with the whole pumpkin situation. He knew it was kind of silly but he was even more grateful for Magnus not humiliating him and without doing more that hugging him, making him feel much better.

He arrived home and was bombarded by Izzy telling him that his costume was in his room and that he had to get ready as their guests would be arriving soon. Alec took a minute to admire the work of his sister and boyfriend   as the house looked amazing, impeccable in fact. There were faux cobwebs and bats hanging everywhere, pumpkins –damn pumpkins- in every other corner and a foggy mist coating the floor. The lighting was dim with an orange tint and it was overall very Halloween-y.

Alec ran to his room and scoffed at the irony of the costume Isabelle had picked, especially considering what Magnus had called him not 30 minutes before. There on the bed, lay white skinny jeans, a white tank top and soft to the touch, pure white feathered wings. Even Alec, who was always keen on darker colours, was somewhat excited at the thought of this costume despite its blatant brightness that would most definitely incandesce under the UV lighting that was prominent downstairs.

Izzy walked into the room just before he managed to pull on his t-shirt and shrieked, startling Alec.

“Alec! Is that a hickey?” She asked jumping up and down.

“...no?” He answered, unsure as to whether his baby sister needed to know that.

“Then tell me, what is this purplish mark hmm?” She inquired.

“I fell?”

“On your collarbone?”

Alec sighed in defeat. “Fine, yes, it’s hickey; yes it’s from Magnus; yes I’m happy, anything else?”

“Nope, I’m good. Come to my room when you’re ready.” She smirked and left a weary Alec to get dressed, hesitant to see what she was planning now.

***

“IZZY! YOU CANNOT MAKE ME WEAR THAT!” Alec retaliated.

“Oh shush big brother, you’ll look so cute! Magnus will love it!

As much as Alec lov-had feelings for Magnus, he would not willingly wear that headband halo, that one accessory that was covered in more glitter than Magnus’ whole body...and that was saying something.

“You’re meant to be an angel Alec, just wear the goddamn halo” Izzy persisted and moved to forcefully put it on Alec’s head.

“Izzy, no, stop. Izzy. Stop!” Alec objected, just as Jace walked into the room dressed as Captain America. “Really? Captain America?” He scoffed.

“You can talk, what the hell is that thing?” Jace pointed towards the adornment that Izzy managed to force on his head as he was distracted by Jace’s presence.

“Fuck you Jace! You fucking stole my pumpkin...MY pumpkin and now you have the nerve to take the piss because of Izzy’s doing?” He argued.

“Hey! Don’t bring me into this. I worked very hard on this-“she vaguely gestures to his whole attire, “-so stop being a grumpy ass and appreciate that Magnus will love it. And you-“she turned to Jace who gulped, clearly intimidated by Izzy’s change of tone, “-stop being a little fuck about Alec’s costume. We all know you’re only dressed like that because it’s Clary’s favourite character and you’re trying to woo since she’s pissed because YOU left her when she started crying so don’t think for a second that we won’t expose you’re intentions. And apologise to Alec about stealing his pumpkin!” Izzy scolded.

“...fine. Sorry Alec, for stealing your pumpkin and taking the piss out of that uhm, beautiful head thingamabob” He said bashfully. Alec just nodded, not willing to forgive that easily but accepting Jace’s surrender.

“And you two will act like civil brothers today, this is a celebration okay! Not to be conceited but I got a fricking internship at Presbyterian and Magnus and I worked too hard to have you two bicker like fucking 5 year olds and ruin the evening. Okay?”  She was clearly over-exaggerating but they both knew not to get on her bad side when she was already tense.

“Yes mom” Jace and Alec responded in unison. Izzy smiled releasing a relieved sigh.

“Right then, let’s get this party started shall we boys?” She asked with a smirk.

***

About half an hour later, guests were already filling the house and the music was pounding at an alarming volume, not that anyone was complaining. 

Clary had forgiven Jace as soon as she saw his costume and they were now suggestively dancing with each other, oblivious to the fact that they were in a crowded room. Clary took Jace’s hand and led him upstairs making Alec scoff, “ugh, finally,” he mumbled and eyed the room, his gaze lingering on Simon doing the sprinkler and he huffed, “awkwardly.” He looked over more of the scene and saw both men and women swooning over Izzy dancing and he smirked “predictably.”

Just then, the door opened and in walked the most beautiful, captivating, glamorous, glittery –the list was endless really- little devil he had ever laid his eyes on...Magnus in the flesh.

Magnus' eyes became wide with mischief as he saw Alec and he sauntered over to him. “Alexander! Don’t you just look utterly ange-“

Alec cut him off mid sentence by crashing their lips together. Magnus stilled for a nanosecond before responding, just as passionately, tongue and everything. Alec let his hands roam down to Magnus’ ass, cupping his butt cheeks while Magnus flung his arms around Alec’s neck. Alec heard a few people ‘woo' and ‘oh yeah’ around him, but he was too distracted to care about the sudden PDA he was agreeing to.

Alec pulled back and licked his lips, humming in satisfaction. “Earl Grey?”

Magnus nodded absentmindedly, still befuddled by what happened a mere few moments ago.

“And...raspberry? Lip gloss I’m guessing?” Alec added. He wasn’t sure when this became some guessing game but Magnus always tasted so goddamn good! He got another nod and pecked those addicting lips once more before truly looking over Magnus’ outfit. He was wearing a red tank top that hugged him perfectly, showing off his amazing biceps and he discarded his usual layered necklaces leaving his neck bare and for some reason -unbeknownst to Alec- he was extremely drawn to it and let his gaze remain there for longer than necessary. He noticed the little devils tail and tight, red leather pants that were literally stuck to his legs- seriously, how was that even comfortable? Alec was certain you would see the line of his boxers through it but since it wasn’t evident, Alec wondered whether Magnus was even wearing any underwear and the thought made his throat go dry and his head fuzzy.

Meeting Magnus’ gaze again, he appreciated the red streaks running through his hair, the little devil horns –that definitely did not give Alec a few inappropriate thoughts – his flawless (as always) make-up and the pitchfork he carried to complete the look. Alec was speechless. Sure, it was probably predictable for Halloween; loads of people would opt for a devil costume, but Magnus? Magnus could make a bin bag look like a designer brand and this was just further proof that no one could ever even compete with his perpetual and ethereal beauty. No one.  Also, the fact that he himself was dressed as an angel made it all the more perfect and Alec couldn’t help the amusement consume him at the irony of this so he just burst out laughing.

Magnus looked nervous and hurt, “What? What’s so funny?”

Alec realised then that he had clearly checked out Magnus and laughed straight after, that would clearly be misunderstood. “No! No no, I’m not laughing at you. I- I think-Magnus, you look amazing. Like seriously amazing. I’m laughing at the irony of this, the devil and angel thing.  Did Izzy know?”

Magnus shook his head and his lips curled a little as he too now saw the hilarity in this. “It’s perfect” he smiled before pressing his lips to Alec’s once more. “You look absolutely beautiful too my muffin.”

Alec blushed a little and ducked his head. “Come, I bet Izzy will have much to say about your outfit” Alec said while ushering Magnus further into the party.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus was nervous to say the least, this party was the first time Alec would be meeting Cat, Ragnor and Raphael, like a proper introduction and he was way too anxious about this. All those anxieties fled however as soon as he saw his darling angel, Alexander.  Magnus was mesmerised, Alec was the embodiment of temptation, and he was completely oblivious to the effect he had on Magnus.

Magnus had greeted Izzy, Jace, Clary and Sigourney, engaging in conversations here and there, dancing a little and nibbling on some snacks until he saw his friends arrive. His posture immediately became stiff and he walked towards them.

“Hello Kitty Cat, Cabbage, hmm” He said to Cat, Ragnor and Raphael respectively.

Cat hugged him, Ragnor just mumbled something about ‘it was one time, one mistake’ and Raphael rolled his eyes.

His friends could be an absolute nuisance but he loved them regardless, and that made them meeting Alec even more nerve-racking. He wasn’t sure if he wanted their approval or dismissal since he wasn’t meant to fall in love, but he had.

“I love what you and Isabelle have done Maggie! This looks amazing. Where is she? I must congratulate her.” Cat smiled.

Magnus nodded and began to move them into the kitchen where he knew Isabelle was preparing some more snacks; he wasn’t expecting the scene he found though.

Alec was holding Isabelle back by her waist and she was trying to get out of his hold while Jace appeared to be throwing something into the bin.

“I worked hard on that!” She exclaimed, annoyance in her tone.

“Iz, we don’t want you to give everyone here food poisoning. It’s for the greater good!” Jace countered.

“Uh-Is everything okay here?” Magnus intervened.

All three Lightwood’s turned to face him and in front of the new guests they seemed to mature by 5 years in less than 2 seconds.

“Yeah, uh-we were just-never mind,” Alec said before walking towards Magnus and his friends, “Hi, you must be Cat, Ragnor and Raphael, I’m Alec, that’s Izzy and Jace” He gestured towards his siblings and smiled.

They greeted each other and the three friends walked over to Isabelle to congratulate her on her internship while Jace went to find Clary.

“You okay?” Alec asked as he turned to Magnus.

“Yeah, why?”

“Your palms are really sweaty” Alec chuckled a little.

“Oh, shit, sorry” Magnus let go of Alec’s hand and began to wipe them on his trousers but was stopped by Alec who took a hold of them again.

“Hey, it’s okay. I don’t mind. You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, just-I guess-I-I’m nervous for them meeting you I guess? They’re my family, after what happened they’re the closest I have to family now.” Magnus voiced his concerns.

Alec cupped Magnus’ face and made him face him, “It’s okay Mags, it’ll be fine” He gave a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, I guess, thank y-wait, what did you just call me?”

Alec immediately took his hands away and ducked his head bashfully. “Sorry, it just came out. I-I didn’t mean t-are you angry?”

“What? No, of course not. I just wasn’t expecting a nickname, I haven’t heard that one before for me, it’s a new one” Magnus smirked.

Alec sighed in relief and smiled that dopey adorable smile, “Okay, Mags” He leaned in and captured Magnus’ lips in a sweet kiss.

***

The next half an hour was spent with Alec getting to know Cat and Ragnor, Raphael was meant to be there too but he had other obligations with Shiloh or whatever.

To Magnus’ relief, they got along almost too well. They were aware of the deal of course, but they still made an effort and Magnus was certain that they liked Alec, as he liked them.

“Alec, come dance with me!” Cat said suddenly.

“What? Okay” Alec agreed and got up, walking to the makeshift dance floor hand in hand with Cat. They began to dance and Magnus was impressed -to say the least- with Alec’s dance moves and he made a mental note to question them later.

“He’s a good boy” Ragnor interrupted Magnus’ thoughts.

“Huh-oh. Yeah, um, he is.”

Ragnor chuckled, “Relax my friend, I can tell you get alo-“

“I need your help!” Raphael appeared out of nowhere and cut Ragnor off.

Magnus and Ragnor both turned to their friend, waiting for him to continue.

“I kissed Simon again and he ran off and now I can’t find him.” He blurted out.

“Sergio ran away from you?” Magnus questioned and then burst out laughing when Raphael glared at him before nodding.

Ragnor hit him lightly on the arm, indicating for him to behave and have some respect for their friend who was clearly upset.

Magnus cleared his throat, “Uh- sorry. I’ll go and ask Isabelle if she’s seen him okay? I’ll be right back, don’t worry.”  Magnus assured before heading to the other side of the room where she was talking to some guy.

“My dear, could I talk to you for a moment?” Magnus asked.

“No, she’s busy” The guy said rudely.

“Meliorn! Don’t be so rude, geez. Can you give me a minute please?” She scolded. This guy –Meliorn apparently- scoffed and walked away leaving the two of them. “Sorry about him, he thinks he owns me or whatever, complete asshole but his dad works with our dad so we have to be nice. Anyway, what’s up, is everything okay?”

Magnus stopped listening at the mention of Robert and realised Isabelle was looking at him questioningly. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“You wanted to talk to me? Is everything okay Magnus, you spaced out there?”

“Oh, yes. Don’t worry about me dear, it’s Shaun. He ran out and Raphael is worried and I know you two are friends, or not, wait. Shit, sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you, I’m sorry.” Magnus remembered Alec saying that he liked Isabelle and this was most definitely going to be awkward knowing the nature of their friendship.

“It’s okay Magnus,” Izzy chuckled a little, “Don’t panic. Yeah we like each other but I understand he needs to explore what he has with Raphael and I totally respect that, he’s my friend first after all and this is the first time he’s actually shown any interest in a guy. So what happened?”

Magnus sighed in relief that she was supportive of this whole ordeal. “Well Raphael said he kissed him and then he ran away and he can’t find him now.”

“Okay, don’t worry, I’ll call him okay? And I’ll ask Clary too; tell Raphael we’ll find him.” Izzy smiled and pulled out her phone to phone him.  Magnus turned around to meet Raphael’s gaze -he had been watching the whole encounter with concerned eyes- and gave a little reassuring nod.

Izzy hung up pretty quickly; it seemed Sheldon didn’t pick up. “I’m gonna go find Clary and then see if we can find him. Can you go ask Alec if he’s seen him?” She asked and Magnus nodded before going to where Cat and Alec were still dancing.

“Alexander, it appears we have a situation. Samson has run away and we can’t find him. Isabelle has gone to talk to Clary, have you seen him?” Magnus intervened their dance and asked.

“Shit, um no. But I think I know where he’ll be. Sorry Cat, I have to go.” Alec said and apologised to Cat who just shook her head and smiled, implying for him to go.

“Okay, I’ll come with you, let’s go.” Magnus stated and he took Alec’s hand and let Alec lead the way.

They walked outside the house and Magnus wasn’t sure what the route they were taking was but they ended up in a park and sat on a bench under a tree was no other than Shelly. They walked over to him and he looked up, tears in his eyes.

“Simon, what’s wrong?” Alec asked, placing a hand on Simon’s shoulder.

“I-I-don’t know what to do. I know you said about taking time to figure things out but-I just, I don’t want to hurt Raphael or Izzy and I don’t fucking know what to do” He stuttered.

“It’s okay Simon, you don’t have to know or decide right away and I’m sure both will respect your choice no matter what you decide.”

“But-but I think I have decided.” He confessed.

“So then what’s the problem?”

“I think I want to try with Raphael, for real I mean. But, when I asked Izzy about the whole thing a month ago, she said that she would wait for me and I don’t want to upset her or hurt her and I’ll be doing that by choosing Raphael.”

“Simon,” Magnus spoke and both Alec and Simon looked up to him in surprise as he had said Simon’s real name. “Isabelle will be your friend no matter what, in fact, I spoke to her earlier to ask for your whereabouts and I apologised thinking it would be an issue but she said it was okay. She genuinely cares about you and your happiness and even if you decide-or have decided to see where this goes with Raphael, she’ll be happy for you. I have no doubt about that. So don’t worry and don’t go running away from people when they kiss you, it’s not very polite” Magnus teased and Simon let out a little chuckle.

“Are you sure?” He asked, still seemingly concerned.

“Positive.” Magnus nodded.

“Okay-“Simon let out a deep breath and got up, “Let’s go back then.”

They all smiled at each other and Alec texted Isabelle before they went back to the party, Simon heading straight to Raphael and Isabelle, who –to Magnus’s amazement- were sat together talking.

Alec pulled Magnus in by the waist and spoke against his lips, “Thank you for what you said back there”, and then kissed him.

“You’re welcome my muffin, he worries too much but forgets to see that everyone cares about him and will be happy as long as he’s happy. He just needed to accept it.”

“You have a way with words so I’m not surprised that he listened to you.” Alec smirked playfully.

“Oh really?” Magnus countered with a smirk of his own.

“Mhm” Alec leaned in again kissing Magnus more passionately this time.  His arms circled Magnus’ waist pulling him closer and Magnus wrapped an arm around Alec’s neck, the other cupping his cheek and stroking Alec’s cheekbone tenderly.

Alec parted Magnus’ lips with his own tongue and slipped it in allowing Magnus to suck on it a little. Magnus could taste the distinctive flavour of mint and lime from a mojito and he was addicted. He pulled back reluctantly making Alec whimper. “Either we move this somewhere else or we stop otherwise I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself” Magnus said with a hoarse voice.

Alec was just about to respond but somewhere near them someone cleared their throat. They turned to face the direction of the sound and saw Jace there looking slightly uncomfortable.

“Uh-I’m sorry to interrupt you guys but Alec, dad’s called a couple of times, says he needs to talk to you about something and it’s urgent.” Jace said.

Magnus tried to not tense or react in any other way at the second mention of Robert this evening and turned to face Alec again, who sighed.

“I’m sorry, I have to get this. I’ll be back soon.” He said and kissed Magnus once more before letting go of him and walking away.  Jace smiled apologetically and followed him.

Magnus wasn’t sure how long he stood there just lost in his thoughts until Cat came up to him.

“You’re in love with him aren’t you?” She said bluntly.

Magnus knew there was no use in denying it so he responded with a simple nod, not meeting her gaze.

“You realise that complicates this so much more right?”

He nodded again.

She placed a hand on his cheek and turned him to face her, “Maggie, I know your reasons behind this but I just need to ask, are you sure you want to do this? I haven’t seen you as happy as I have in the past few weeks that you’ve known him ever since I’ve met you and I just want to make sure you know what you’ll be throwing away when you go through with this.”

He sighed and felt the tears start to form in his eyes, threatening to fall any second.

“I-I don’t know Cat” He trembled and she pulled him into a bone crushing hug, caressing his back.

“Shh, shh Maggie, it’s okay, I’m sorry I bought it up.” She apologised.

“No, it-it’s okay. I needed to hear it. I’ve been so swept up in it all that I forget why I’m even in this situation in the first place. And it hurts, it hurts so fucking much because I love him and I know he’s going to hate me when he finds out the truth. I can’t keep lying to him. I didn’t tell you yet but there’s this dinner tomorrow at-at...Robert has invited us for dinner and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go and do this but I can’t keep lying to Alexander and I just, I know I have to do this. I can’t let that murderer be free but I wish I could still have him when this is all over.” Magnus blurted out while crying into Cat’s shoulder.

He’d spoken to them about this countless times but he hadn’t mentioned the part where he fell in love, knowing that they’d say it was too dangerous...he was aware of that and that’s what made it so much worse. He could already feel his heart breaking and the worst part hadn’t even happened yet.

“I understand honey, we’re behind you on whatever you decide and I get that you can’t lie to him anymore so going tomorrow seems like the best option in this situation. But Maggie,” she pulled back to look into Magnus’ eyes, “when I danced with him, we talked about...stuff, and believe me; he’s in love with you. And if you think about it, you’re sort of doing him a favour by getting him away from Robert considering what he’s done. He may not forgive you straight away but I think he loves you a lot, and he might just see past this for that one reason. So don’t give up hope okay?” She said as an attempt to reassure Magnus of what he was doing.

He nodded, but not one single part of him agreed with her. Alec would never forgive him and he was not about to hold on to some false hope that he might. Hope was a dangerous thing and hoping that they’ll find their way back to each other would just be pure stupidity and setting himself up for even more heartbreak, and hasn’t Magnus suffered enough already? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for the commenters, kudosers (probably not a word but just roll with it) and readers, I appreciate all of you who take the time :) See you for Chapter 8 soon!
> 
> (Side note...that whole pumpkin thing was stemmed off Matt talking about his pumpkin on that live stream. High five if you know what I'm talking about)


	8. Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus meets Alec's parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I've got a bit to say so just bear with me.  
> This chapter is longer than usual, it was originally two separate chapters but I mixed them since it's of significance for today's date (10.10.17). Today is World Mental Health Day.  
> To me, it shouldn't just be a day. People should be made aware everyday of the issues surrounding this. It's difficult to share and talk about what you're feeling since there's always been this stigma around Mental Health that shouldn't be there. People experience discrimination or are looked upon differently if they struggle and worse, they can feel ashamed to open up about any of it making the recovery much more difficult than it should be.  
> There's this quote, "You cannot recover from Anxiety by just staying calm. You cannot recover from Depression by just being positive. You cannot recover from Anorexia Nervosa by just eating more. If Mental Illnesses were that simple, we wouldn't be struggling in the first place." I could not put it into better words myself. Some people who don't understand or haven't suffered themselves believe it's that simple.  
> As someone who struggles myself, I'm constantly finding people who just tell me 'think positive' or 'pull yourself together' and anything along those lines. I find it hard to then open up to people-even my own parents at times since they seem to be in the group of people who think it's simple to recover- and feel that they wouldn't understand if I spoke the truth, but that shouldn't be the case.  
> I want anyone who's struggling to know that you are loved and you are so much stronger than you consider yourself to be. You fight so many internal battles with the chaos that's conflicting within and though it may seem that you did not achieve anything today, you are here and you're alive. You can do this.  
> For Magnus and his point of view, I try to show how it can go from naught to one hundred in a matter of seconds. People can assume that if you have Depression, you're constantly unhappy, which is not the case. You can be having the best day and then it can all suddenly flip and I try to make that clear with Magnus' point of view.  
> I really hope that any of you who struggle can feel comfortable to open up and talk about anything and though I am just a stranger whose story you're reading, I will always be open to listen to anything you have to say. To those who aren't as aware or understanding of the issues, I hope you can learn more about it so we who do experience any form of it can feel comfortable to talk and seek advice/help.  
> Sorry, it was a bit of a ramble but I just needed to make that clear. A big thank you to everyone whose been reading, commenting and leaving kudos. Writing this has really helped me over the past week and a bit and knowing that it hasn't gone unnoticed warms my heart, so thank you all very much.  
> I've been listening to this song by Jon Bellion called 'Human' and that's the inspiration behind the chapter title. I guess you could have different views of the song but I recommend checking it out, especially his acoustic version. It's been my anthem for the past couple of weeks and just calmed me down a lot and helped with stress of school and all that other wonderful stuff :/  
> As always, same disclaimers as the first chapter and *** means time jump.  
> <3

**Alec PV**

Alec woke up to the sun gleaming through his window and he blinked his eyes open to face an adorable sleeping Magnus. He took in the soft features of his face as he slept, how carefree and peaceful he looked. Though Magnus could come across as someone who was confident and rarely ever unhappy, Alec had learned that that was not the case. As his moon tattoo demonstrates, everyone has part of themselves hidden and what Magnus was hiding was indeed one big fat burden. It pained Alec to know how much Magnus had suffered in his life and he wished he could do something to make that hurt and anguish to go away; unfortunately life didn’t work like that. All he could do was be there for Magnus through the ups and downs and make sure Magnus knew how much Alec loved him, even if he hadn’t told him that yet.

He thought back to last night and the conversation he had with Cat. She said Magnus could be very vulnerable at times –which he understood completely given his past- and that he may act out or make mistakes but if Alec truly loves him then he should stick by him. That Magnus was a good person and his intentions are always pure, despite what it may seem and he should always hear him out before doing anything that would hurt them both.

Alec didn’t really understand what she meant by it all and didn’t have time to ask as Magnus came to tell him that Simon had ran away and once that was solved, his dad had managed to interrupt them even though he was miles away.

He informed Alec that he would be dropping Max off in the morning since him and Maryse had something important to do before the dinner in the evening, didn’t specify what and Alec was too distracted  with the make out session he just had with Magnus to bother asking.

_Magnus_

Sometimes Alec wondered if he was even real. He was the embodiment of an angel to Alec. Everything about him just pulled Alec closer as if he were magnetized and Alec knew he had to voice his feeling towards him soon or he might just spontaneously combust from all the love he had bottled up.

“Stop staring, it’s creepy.” Magnus mumbled and Alec realised he had been staring, though he wondered how Magnus knew since his eyes were closed and he was supposedly sleeping. Maybe he had some absurd 5th sense, Alec wouldn’t be surprised though. Magnus was quite...magical.

“I’m your boyfriend, it’s not creepy if I do it” He retorted with a smile.

“It is a little, but I’ll forgive you my gorgeous muffin.” Magnus said as he blinked his eyes open making Alec’s breath hitch in his throat. It was silly and super cheesy but he never got tired of Magnus’ eyes. It was one of the first things he noticed about him, they were so unusual and peculiar making them all the more beautiful and Alec could stare into them forever. They would put a Nebula to shame. “You’re doing it again” He said with a smirk.

“What? I love your eyes okay. Let me have my moment of staring.” Alec pouted.

“Well why don’t you let me have my moment of kissing?” Magnus asked before pressing his lips to Alec’s.

The kiss deepened pretty quickly and before Alec knew it, Magnus had moved his hand lower and lower till it reached the waistband of his boxers and Alec immediately stopped him.

“Are you crazy Mags? Izzy or Jace could walk in any second!” He panicked.

“Shh, it’s okay. They would know to knock before entering if I’m here darling.” Magnus smirked and slipped his hand into Alec’s boxers, his long fingers wrapping around his cock.

Alec bit back a moan as Magnus stroked him to become fully erect. He kissed and bit down Alec’s neck and chest until he reached his hip, leaving a trail of angry red marks all down his torso. Magnus circled Alec’s head with his tongue, licking off the pre-come that had gathered there before taking him in fully and Alec couldn’t hold back his gasp as he felt the back of Magnus’ throat.

Alec fisted his hands in Magnus’ dishevelled hair, tugging at it eliciting a moan from Magnus that vibrated on his cock. He couldn’t help but thrust up into that warm, wet mouth, albeit a little roughly but Magnus didn’t seem to mind so Alec continued fucking his mouth.

Magnus sucked, bobbing his head up and down and hollowing his cheeks as Alec became a whimpering mess at his mercy.

His hands reached up and he twisted one of Alec’s nipples a little and that was it for Alec.

“Mags-Mahh-I-I’m...shit” He mumbled and without second warning, came down Magnus’ mouth.

Alec shut his eyes as his high came and went, leaving him in a state of temporary euphoria as Magnus tucked him back into his boxers and snuggled up to him.

Alec let his hand roam down Magnus’ torso and just as he was about to reach his underwear, a knock came at the door. Alec’s eyes shot open and he turned to Magnus, cursing at the sight of him. His lips were red and swollen and there was a little come left on his cheek and chin. Any other time, Alec would have loved this sight but right now, not one bit. He panicked and just as the door opened, he wiped off the come with his thumb and Magnus took it into his mouth.

“Dad called and said Max will be her-“Izzy said before pausing to look at them, Alec’s thumb in Magnus’ mouth and a knowing smirk appeared on her face.

“Well shit” Alec said before removing his thumb and glaring at Magnus who was now giggling.

“As I was saying,” Izzy giggled too now “He’ll be here in 20 minutes so no more funny business. Get ready; we’re going to Java to get food and then the park”

 She winked at them and left, shutting the door behind her. Alec heard some voices mumbling unable to make out the conversation and then a fit of laughter from his sister, brother and Clary. He groaned and nuzzled his face into Magnus’ chest while Magnus laughed too.

“It’s not like they couldn’t guess we were at this stage now. Sex is healthy Alexander; it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Magnus chuckled as he twirled Alec’s dark locks through his fingers.

“It is when your siblings are involved. I’m never going to hear the end of this.” He grumbled back before getting up to go to the bathroom. “I’m gonna shower and no, you can’t join me...I don’t trust you to behave.” He tried to be serious but the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips deceived him.

“Alexander!” Magnus gasped, “How dare you? I can most definitely behave.” He said while placing his hand over his heart in feigned offense.

Alec stood by the doorframe connecting the bathroom and his bedroom and glared at Magnus before taking off his boxers making the latter’s eyes widen.

“Can you behave?” He asked.

“...no”

“Exactly” Alec winked and turned around, swaying his hips for a little dramatic flair.

Magnus groaned before shouting, “Tease”

“You love it”

***

The day went by with 6 of them going to Java and the park, Simon and Raphael meeting them there. Alec tried to ignore his sibling’s not so subtle remarks about his morning with Magnus, all the while telling them to behave in the presence of their little brother. God, sometimes he hated them with a passion.

It was nearing late afternoon now and Alec saw Magnus was beginning to panic slightly.  He was sat on the edge of Alec’s bed, hands trembling and legs shaking, staring at a spot on the floor so intensely, Alec was worried it might burn.

“Hey, Mags, it’s okay. You’re okay” Alec whispered while taking Magnus’ hands into his own, kneeling on the floor between his legs.

Magnus looked into Alec’s eyes and Alec could see the tears forming in them. Without hesitation, he pulled Magnus close, embracing him tightly. “Baby, it’s okay. Shh, you’re okay.” Magnus silently cried into Alec’s shoulder, his tears staining his shirt but Alec could care less about that.

He pulled back and cupped Magnus’ cheeks, wiping the tears that were still streaming with his thumbs. He leaned in and placed a soft, loving kiss to Magnus’ lips. “We don’t have to go if you’re not ready. They won’t be mad or anything, we can stay here and watch movies if you want?” Alec asked sincerely.

Magnus shook his head as the tears slowly started to calm down. “I-no-I want to...I want to go. I’m just-it’s not something I’m used to. A family.” Magnus stuttered and Alec’s heart ached for Magnus’ loss. He hated that that was his boyfriends past. Magnus deserved nothing but happiness in his life and Alec was determined to be the one to give it to him.

“I understand Mags. If at any point you don’t feel good, you tell me okay? You tell me and we’ll come home.” Alec didn’t think too much at his use of the word ‘home’ so easily but Magnus didn’t seem to mind-or notice, either way, this was home. Magnus was home.

Magnus nodded and leaned in to kiss Alec again, tasting slightly salty from the tears but still the soft, warm lips that Alec had grown addicted to.  He pulled back and rose to his feet, bringing Magnus with him. Taking his hand, they walked out and made their way to Alec’s parent’s house.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus was shitting himself. He wasn’t ready for this, for any of it. For scoping out the office, taking the files, for meeting Robert because he murdered Magnus’ father, for meeting Robert because he was his boyfriend’s father, for meeting Maryse too...but most importantly, he wasn’t ready to lose Alec. He’d never be ready to lose Alec.

With his thoughts a blur and mind a mess, he sighed as they reached the drive way of the Lightwood Mansion –it was a house, but goddamn it was so big that it may have been some royal palace or something. Magnus wouldn’t be surprised if Alec casually told him he was some prince or something.

Magnus had thought about his, a lot. How he was supposed to act, how he would sneak away... _would_ he sneak away? Was this the right time to do it? It was the first time to visit the house and despite the situation, he still felt bad to snoop around on the first time. Sure, it wasn’t the time he’d be stealing the files but he still had to have a look at the office and see what he needed from Sebastian to actually steal the evidence.

Part of him was glad he didn’t have to get it all done in one night as he’d still have Alec for a little longer...but could he handle being in the house again? Being in the company of a cold blooded, ruthless murderer?

He had no time to think anymore as he froze still, the door opening to reveal the man of the hour...Robert Lightwood in the flesh.

Magnus gulped, tightening his grip on Alec’s hand and arm that he was clung to. He felt sick looking at Robert’s grin. It was 110% nauseating to think this man deprived Magnus of his father, his family and yet he could be standing here looking as chipper as ever at his own children.

What a monster.

“Hi dad.” Jace beamed, breaking Magnus out of his thoughts and statue-like state.

“Hello son.” Robert smiled back as Jace made his way through the door with Clary close behind. They hugged and Jace disappeared down the hallway. Isabelle followed as she hugged her father as he congratulated her and she followed Clary and Jace, Max on her heels leaving only Magnus and Alec out the door.

Robert cleared his throat and Alec seemed like he suddenly remembered this was an introduction as he was too busy staring at Magnus and rubbing small circles with his thumb on Magnus’ hand trying to calm and comfort him.

“Right, dad, this is Magnus, my boyfriend,” Alec smiled down at Magnus, that dopey adorable smile that just made this all the more difficult knowing what he will be giving up, “Magnus, this is my dad.”

What Magnus didn’t see was Robert flinch at the sound of Magnus’ name, as if it brought back some horrid memory.

Magnus tore his eyes away from Alec’s and forced himself to meet Robert’s gaze. “Mr Lightwood, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He managed to say, holding out his free arm.

Robert stared at the outstretched hand before dismissing it and pulling both Alec and Magnus into a hug instead...something Magnus was most definitely not expecting. He tried not to shudder at the proximity, fighting back the images of the gun pointed at his father’s head, the pool of bloo-

_No, stop it Magnus. Stop thinking about it!_

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, son. And please, call me Robert.” He said as he pulled back from the somewhat awkward embrace.

Magnus nodded with a small smile and made his way inside the home, still clinging onto Alec for dear life, afraid of when he’ll no longer be able to do so.

Alec lead him into the kitchen where a woman that had long, black hair stood with her back to them, talking to Isabelle.

“Mom,” Alec called out and she turned around, eye’s lighting up and a big grin on her face, “This is Magnus, my boyfriend.” Alec introduced for the second time. Magnus would never get tired of hearing that...‘my boyfriend’, unfortunately he’ll have to give it up sooner or later.

“Magnus, dear, it’s so lovely to meet you.” She said as she pulled Magnus into hug.

He hated to admit it but this felt oddly comforting. After losing so much, he forgot what it was like to be hugged by a mother and a father and it felt weirdly nostalgic. He breathed in the scent of her perfume as she retreated.

“And you Mrs Lightwood” Magnus politely smiled back.

She chuckled a little, “Please sweetheart, call me Maryse.” She cupped his cheek and smiled fondly at him while he nodded, trying to hold back the tears.

This was already too much, he never realised how much he missed this all. The simple touches from a parent that you’d take for granted when you have it but miss unequivocally when they were gone.

She turned on her heel, heading back to the stove. “Dinner will be ready in half an hour kids. Why don’t you show Magnus around Alec?” She called out while looking over her shoulder at them.

“Okay” Alec responded and tugged at Magnus’ hand, ushering him to follow.

Alec walked him down the hall, pointing out the rooms behind the different doors and then opening them revealing bathrooms, the gym room, the study, the first door to the basement, the second door to the basement, the door to the garage and the door to the back garden.

He walked past the kitchen again, noticing the patio doors that lead out the garden too and admired the view of the large expanse of fresh green grass.

“I’ll show you outside later.” Alec informed as he saw where Magnus’ gaze lingered.

Alec showed him the living room that had a giant TV on the wall, many comfortable couches, and lamps in the corners basking the whole room in a lovely warm glow. Overall, it looked extremely cosy and all Magnus could think about was cuddling up to Alec on one of the fluffy lounges.

“What about your bedroom?” Magnus asked in a low voice as he smirked.

“Impatient are we?” Alec teased back before pulling Magnus up the stairs with him.

“Okay, so down at the end of that corridor was Izzy’s room and opposite it is Max’s room,” Alec said as he pointed to down a long hallway to the left of the landing. “On this side is mom and dad’s room and dad’s office,” He added pointing to the right hand side and Magnus swallowed back the lump in his throat at the mention of the office but Alec didn’t seem to notice thankfully. “And upstairs were mine and Jace’s rooms.” He concluded as they walked up the final flight of steps.

Alec opened the door that was to the left of the landing so Magnus assumed the one on the right was Jace’s old room.

“Welcome to my lair...well my old lair.” Alec said as he stretched his arms out wide and grinned.

Magnus took in the whole room. To the right of him was a door that he presumed led to the bathroom. Besides that was a dresser with some trophies resting above it. Then was the bed, double, with light grey fitted sheets that looked crisp and fresh.  There was a desk in the far corner of the room that looked out over the back yard, there were windows mostly covering the opposite wall to the door of the bedroom where Magnus stood. On the left side, there was a wardrobe and a giant bean bag in the other far corner. The whole room was in shades of grey and blue and it looked very inviting.

“What do you think?” Alec asked as he plopped down on the giant –seriously, that thing was like the size of his bed- bean bag.

Magnus followed suit and cuddled up next to him. “I love it, so cosy.”

Alec chuckled a little light hearted chuckle and placed a soft kiss to Magnus hair, wrapping his arms around him tighter.

“Are you okay?” Alec asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“Mhm” Magnus hummed and nodded.

“Good, I don’t want you ever feeling uncomfortable okay? You can always tell me and I’ll always do anything and everything that I can to help.” Alec said, barely a whisper.

Magnus couldn’t fight the lovesick smile that was plastered on his face. Honestly, Alec was killing him. How on Earth did he deserve to have someone like Alec? And then it hit him... _I don’t,_ he thought. Soon, Alec will no longer be his, will no longer do ‘anything and everything’ to make Magnus feel better, and that alone was enough to wipe the smile of Magnus’ face.

He wasn’t sure if he could last much longer wrapped in the arms of the one he loved, the one he’ll always love but never have, so he stood abruptly and held out his hand.

Alec look up a little startled but then took the hand and they walked down back to the kitchen where Clary and Izzy were sat engrossed in a conversation with Robert while Max and Jace helped set the table for Maryse.

They all looked up and smiled as Magnus and Alec entered and it was overwhelming, to say the least.

“Come and sit boys.” Robert said kindly.

How could he do it Magnus wondered. How could he fake being nice? It was complete bullshit.

***

“So Magnus dear, what do you do? Alec was adamant on leaving the details out when Robert and I kept on pestering him to find out more about this lovely boy who’s swept our son off his feet.”  Maryse grinned.

Alec groaned besides him and he chuckled lightly before answering. “I’m studying Computer Sciences at Columbia.”

Robert eyed him suspiciously but then he smiled and it seemed a little forced. “That’s wonderful Magnus, what do you hope to do after?” He asked.

What _did_ he hope to do after? I mean technically he had already graduated but of course none of them knew that. Currently he was jobless, well unless you count entering a ‘fake’ relationship to steal some evidence from your ‘fake’ boyfriend’s father but then actually end up falling for that ‘fake’ boyfriend making it not so fake anymore as a job. He thought long and hard about it, what was he actually going to do after this?

“I’m not really sure; I’ve never thought about it that far ahead.” He shrugged.

“Is there any aspect that interests you the most? Cyber security, software design etc?” He pressed on.

Magnus wasn’t really up for talking about this but Robert was clearly making an effort and it’d be rude if he just ignored the question so he answered sincerely. “Software design has always been my favourite. And creating gadgets. From a young age I’d always try and create new little things that would inevitably fail but still was a fun project.”

“You have some serious talent there son, true passion is hard to come by these days.” Robert smiled, seemingly proud.

It was really weird because Magnus should hate the bastard with every fibre of his being but with each passing minute, he was forgetting all about the whole ordeal. After his father died, there was no one to please in that sense. Creating gadgets and designing new tech was something he always did with his father and it was devastating to lose that and lose the pride his father would have for him when he’d pitch a new idea or something. Robert being proud –or acting proud- was something Magnus was not expecting to like so much.

“Tha-thank you” He stuttered with an honest smile.

Robert nodded at him with a smile of his own and Magnus felt Alec interlocking their fingers beneath the dining table.

What was happening? Why did it feel like he was fitting in? Was he fitting in?

***

They finished their dinner, engaging in conversations here and there about different topics such as Magnus’ hobbies and how he and Alec met –which made Alec become a flustered mess as he stammered his sentences- and then Robert and Maryse sharing childhood stories of Alec and his siblings.

Magnus was so nervous to be there tonight but surprisingly, all his nerves were gone now. He was calm.

And that terrified him to the core.

This was not what was meant to happen. He was meant to hate Robert for what he did, loath him and despise him. But this evening, he’d been so welcoming, and even if it was only a facade and he was faking, Magnus fell for it. He ached to belong somewhere and this felt right in so many ways that it petrified him because it wasn’t supposed to feel right.

Now, he truly began to doubt his intentions.

Robert deserved prison, which was for definite. But knowing Alec, falling in love with him, Magnus felt content. Then meeting his family, seeing that dynamic and how caring and loving everyone was with each other just planted even more doubts in his mind. He was going to break this whole family apart for his revenge, and even though he knew deep down that it had to happen, that justice had to be served...he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was doing something terrible, something he’d regret.

Magnus lay in bed that night next to Alec in his old room. He was here, in the house. He could go and sneak into the office and scope it out like Sebastian had said he should do but he was restraining himself. Did he really want to do it?

So many thoughts were rushing around in his head that he kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep while Alec was knocked out like a baby next to him.

Magnus stopped to just look at him, at his soft features as he snored lightly. No tension or furrowed brows, just a small smile on his lips as he was probably having a good dream.

_Ugh!_

Magnus couldn’t do this to him. Couldn’t keep lying anymore and stringing Alec along in this whole thing. He deserved so much better, not someone who was lying about so much.

And so Magnus made his decision. The longer he kept dragging out the process, the more time he’d get to spend with Alec which was a good thing, but then he was still lying. Increasing the intensity of the mess of broken hearts that was sure to come after this all and he couldn’t do that. Too much pain never bode well for him, not in the past and definitely not in the future. So the quicker he got this done, the quicker he could slip away and stitch his heart back up from losing what could be the love of his life.

Magnus stood up, trying not to wake Alec and silently made his way down the stairs. He froze outside the door to the office. Was he really doing this? Like _really_ really?

Yep.

He pushed the door open and took in the office. It was simple, just like you’d expect. A desk, a chair, many filing cabinets and a bookshelf to the corner. He eyed the room, looking for this so called safe that Sebastian had said might be there, but it wasn’t.

He walked around to the desk and silently opened the drawers. Since there was no laptop on the desk, he needed to find where it was kept but to no avail, he couldn’t find it anywhere.

_Maybe it’s in his room right now._

He sighed, accepting failure. This was proving to be much more difficult than he planned. Magnus mindlessly walked over to the bookshelf and studied the books that were there. Many old novels, lots of Shakespeare and then a whole shelf on Criminology and Law.

He pulled out one of the books that had ‘A.L’ written on the binding and opened it. A note fell out so he picked it up and began to read without thinking of what he was doing.

_To our dearest Alexander,_

_All your life you’ve always done what others have wanted. What you thought would please everyone around you and putting your happiness second. What you failed to see was that no matter what, you have always been an amazing son, grandson and brother and you never fail to make us all proud._

_However, we could not be happier with you that you’ve opened up to us. Though we knew for a long time, we didn’t want to pressure you into anything; we wanted you to take your time and we’re so glad you’ve accepted yourself no matter what doubts you may have had about our reactions._

_We will always love you and always support you, and both Grandma and Grandpa are unbelievably proud of you as are we and your brothers and sister. You deserve to be happy Alexander and we couldn’t be more ecstatic that you’ve finally begun to put that before all else. You’re a remarkable young man and any man would be extremely lucky to have you as their boyfriend. We hope you find your happiness soon._

_We wish you all the best as you head off to Columbia and we know you’ll achieve great things. We weren’t sure what to get you but Isabelle insisted on a guitar and how could we deny that? Jace however wanted to be ‘funny’ so here’s your favourite book as a child: Guess How Much I Love You. We thought it was perfectly fitting for you being true to yourself and telling us._

_We love you and we’re tremendously proud of you,_

_Mom, Dad, Jace, Izzy, Max, Grandma and Grandpa xxx_

Magnus suddenly felt like he was trespassing –which he obviously was. This was a personal letter and he’d just barged into this office and began reading it without permission. Granted, it was the sweetest thing he’s read and he couldn’t be more happy knowing that Alec’s family loved him for who he was, but that didn’t make it any better that he’d just went through something so personal without even asking.

He had to get out of this room before he felt any shittier, partly for being so inconsiderate of privacy but also because he didn’t find the laptop or make any progress.

Magnus moved to put the book back on the shelf but his hand froze mid air. He gasped, not truly believing what he saw. He shuffled some of the books into a neat pile on the floor and right there in front of his eyes, was indeed a safe. 

Of course it’d be hidden, duh!

He was conflicted on whether this was good news or bad news, knowing where his laptop would be was a development, one step closer to putting Robert in jail but one step closer to losing Alec.

Not wanting to think on it further right now, Magnus put the books back, careful to keep the order the same as before and silently tip-toed back up to Alec’s room. He climbed in bed and snuggled up to a still sleeping Alec, letting the warmth and steady breathing lull him into deep sleep.

**Alec PV**

To say he was nervous about the evening was an understatement, but it couldn’t have gone better. Magnus was definitely nervous at the beginning but further into the evening, he seemed to really enjoy the company of Alec’s family and that warmed his heart. It was still early days in the relationship but Alec couldn’t deny the content feeling that Magnus bought. His presence just felt like the last missing puzzle piece and now that he had it, he was determined to never let it go.

Alec had everything he wanted. He was close to taking the Bar, –he was a nervous wreck but it was still a little exciting – he had less than a year left of University and then he’d be working as a real Lawyer, like for real. His family and friends were all healthy and happy but most importantly, he’d found Magnus.

Alec’s life could not be more perfect right now.

He looked over his shoulder to the alarm, reading the time. 6:45a.m. Why did he have to be such a morning person?

Alec placed a quick kiss on Magnus’ forehead and untangled himself from his boyfriend, stepping into the bathroom to freshen up.

He brushed his teeth and pulled on some joggers, a t-shirt and his trainers leaving a note for Magnus in case he woke up before he got back.

Silently slipping out of the house careful not to disturb anyone, he started his usual running route that he used to take when he lived here. It was nostalgic to say the least and it made him all the more content with how well everything was going in his life right now.

Alec half jogged-half ran for about an hour before he decided to make his way back home, passing this small bakery that his grandma used to take him to as a child to pick up his favourite cupcakes for Magnus to try.

Once home, he placed the box of baked goods on the counter and pulled out a water bottle from the fridge, almost downing the whole thing as Robert walked into the kitchen dressed in his pyjamas and a robe.

“Good morning son, you’re up early.” He greeted.

“Mhm, just woke up and thought I’d go for a run. I picked up some cupcakes from Dot’s so help yourself.”

Robert nodded and smiled as he put on the kettle for a cup of tea. Taking a seat opposite where Alec sat now, he eyed his son with an expression Alec couldn’t quite place his finger on.

“Uh-is everything okay dad?” Alec asked cautiously.

“Yeah, Magnus is a lovely young man.” Robert said sincerely.

Alec smiled fondly at the comment and hummed in agreement. “Yeah, he really is.”

“What did you say his surname was again?” Robert asked.

“Edom...why?”

“Hm, no reason. Where’s he from then?”

“Uh, here. I know his mother was Indonesian though, what’s with this interrogation?”

“Right, sorry son. I just-I knew someone before who mentioned a Magnus and since it’s an uncommon name I was just curious, doesn’t seem related though so ignore me. I mean it though, he seems like a lovely boy and I could not be happier for you son, you deserve happiness and Magnus seems to be the one to give that to you. Make sure you keep him around.” Robert said with a small honest smile.

Alec was going to question this whole Magnus from the past thing but it flew over his head as his dad started talking about happiness and Magnus.

“Thanks dad.” Alec smiled as his dad patted his cheek.

He talked a bit more about work and University before going upstairs to shower and get ready.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus woke up to an empty bed, no warmth from Alec to surround him and he groaned. Why was his boyfriend always up so early? He flopped his arm around and buried his head into the pillow before deciding to sit up and look over the room.

By the looks of it, Alec was nowhere to be seen in the room but then Magnus noticed the little piece of paper next to him on Alec’s pillow. He picked it up and giggled at Alec’s Alec-ness.

_Good Morning Magnusssss_

_I’m going for a run! So that’s why I’m not here. But let this amazing drawing of Chairman Meow keep you company since your had to leave him with Ragnor this weekend :( See you soon._

_Alec... AKA Muffin, Snoogums Boogums and all the other absurd and ridiculous things you call me xx_

There was an absolutely terrible drawing of a cat at the bottom of the paper that looked nothing like Chairman Meow but it still warmed Magnus’ heart and what made it even better was Alec walking into the room with a massive grin on his face.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, facing Magnus. “Hey”

“Hey yourself.” Magnus smiled.

“You got my note.” He stated, pointing at the paper that Magnus was still holding on to.

“Yep, and quite frankly the drawing was an absolute piece of shit but I’ll let it slide.” Magnus shrugged as if his heart wasn’t about to burst out of his chest at the adorableness of this all as Alec pouted.

“I thought it was pretty good.” He said bashfully.

“No, Alexander. Look at it. A cat’s neck is not that long. It may as well be a giraffe or a llama with that afro thing you’ve drawn on his head. What even is that?” Magnus glared at the drawing.

“So what? Chairman would look great with an afro and llamas are so cool. I once visited a farm when I was like 6 and there was this llama there and it was just staring at me for like 5 minutes so Izzy, Jace and I decided to name him Larry. I have a picture of him downstairs somewhere. It might have been a girl though. How do you tell if it’s a girl? Do llamas have a penis if they’re a male one? I don’t think 6 year old me would have noticed. Maybe we should have picked a gender neutral name, or like Loretta if it was a girl llama. Yeah, Loretta sounds good...”

Magnus just stared blankly at Alec as he rambled on and he couldn’t help but think this was just so adorable. It was a fucking llama and should be weird but he just found it so goddamn cute and Alec was so cute and gosh...he loved him. He loved him so much. 

“...Sorry, I just totally went off on a tangent there. Ignore me.” Alec concluded and sighed.

“You’re so precious Alexander, perfectly incongruous in my mess of a life.”

Alec frowned at that and looked like he was about to question him so Magnus pulled Alec on top of him by his shirt and brushed his lips softly over Alec’s. He was a little sweaty from his run but it’s nothing Magnus would complain about. He parted Alec’s lips and slipped his tongue into that familiar warmth of Alec’s mouth and they stayed like that, a mess of tongues and teeth and raggedy breath for what was probably the better part of 5 minutes until Alec pulled back.

“I really need to shower, want to join me?” He smiled innocently despite the nature of his words.

“What happened to me not being able to behave?” Magnus asked playfully.

“You still can’t, but I’m trusting you to be good...okay?”

“...okay” Magnus sighed and let Alec pull him up and into the bathroom.

Once there, Alec turned on the shower and pulled his own t-shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor. He toed off his shoes and socks and then cupped Magnus’ face, kissing him gently before pulling Magnus’ t-shirt over his head.  He then pulled down Magnus’ boxers and placed soft kisses to his thighs, pulling down his own joggers and boxers after.

He stepped into the shower and drew Magnus in with him. They didn’t say anything, it felt wrong to break this intimate silence that had enveloped them and it was as if it would be a sin to talk.

Alec leaned in and kissed Magnus again, no lust, just pure adoration and love and Magnus melted into it, whimpering when Alec pulled back. He reached for the shampoo and massaged it into Magnus scalp, kissing his neck and collarbone softly while doing so and then repeated this with another round of shampoo followed by conditioner.

He then grabbed the loofah loading it with body wash –which Magnus loved since it smelled exactly like Alec- and proceeded to run it all over Magnus’ body in circular motions.

They finished off the shower and Magnus let Alec towel dry him, wrapping the towel around him and then lead him back into the room.

Magnus was speechless. It was nothing really, but it just felt like it meant so much more than it seemed. Not just a trivial shower with your boyfriend. They didn’t say anything more as they got dressed or even as they walked downstairs, hand in hand.

Magnus wanted nothing more than to tell Alec he loved him, with all his heart. But he knew the consequence. Admitting it would only confirm its realness and that was something that would make this so much more difficult and heart breaking then it already was, so Magnus kept his mouth shut. Forbidding himself to say those three words to Alec for fear of what it’ll do to his already damaged heart.

***

The day passed with the blink of an eye. They ate and talked more before settling on the couch to watch a movie...the perfect lazy Sunday afternoon before making their way back to the campus house.

Magnus really wanted to stay with Alec but he knew he couldn’t bear it much longer and he might just break down. Not wanting Alec to see that, he made his way back to his loft and just collapsed on the floor.

There was an ache in his heart that was becoming more than unbearable...he needed to distract himself. He walked into the bathroom and took out the small blade from the cupboard and placed it on the tender skin of his wrist before piercing it.

Magnus stilled, the blade still in his wrist as a small bubble of scarlet blood formed at the site. Before he could slash it down, he removed the blade and tossed it in the bin.

Magnus dug out his phone from his pocket and dialled Cat’s number.

“Maggie! You okay? How was it?” She answered on the third ring.

“I-Cat? Please...” He spoke, barely a whisper as threatening tears stung in his eyes.

“I’ll be there in 10 minutes, don’t do anything honey. I’ll be right there and I’ll bring Chairman from Ragnor’s okay? Just, don’t-don’t do anything Magnus.” She spoke firmly.

“O-okay” Magnus choked out.

He walked towards the couch but sat down on the floor instead and bought his knees up to his chest, folding his arms over them and resting his head there as he cried and cried an endless stream of tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the big note at the beginning but to those who read it, thank you all so much.  
> I'll see you guys with the next chapter soon x


	9. Deprivation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus spends a few days to himself to recover and think through things while Alec is studying non-stop and becoming seriously deprived of necessities...such as Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have a good opinion of this chapter but I guess that can happen. I'm ashamed of the so called 'humor' that I tried to put in...you'll see that it's not my strong point and it's more like embarrassing myself.   
> I've created some sort of plan for the next couple of chapters and hopefully they'll be a little more exciting.   
> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos. Seriously, these people saying they love this fic and my writing and stuff is all so appreciated and I could not thank you enough for your kind words.   
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter :)

**Alec PV**

Alec was beginning to panic. It was now Wednesday and he hasn’t seen Magnus since Sunday evening when they got back from their parents house. They’ve exchanged a few texts here and there and Magnus had said he’s been busy which is understandable but Alec can’t chase away the gut feeling that something very bad was about to happen.

Unable to bear it any longer, he left his final class of the day and made his way to Magnus’ apartment despite the fact that he needed to study. He pulled out his phone and dialled Izzy’s number.

“Big brother! How’s it going?” Izzy’s chirpy voice came through the phone.

“Good, well yeah. I don’t really know. I’m going over to Magnus’, I’m a little worried. He’s been a bit distant so yeah. I won’t be home for a bit okay?” Alec said trying to conceal the worry and concern in his voice.

“Okay Alec, just, I hope he’s okay and tell him we all love him okay?”

“Yeah, thanks Iz. I’ll see you later.” Alec said before they said goodbye and hung up.

He had spoken to Izzy about this, not in immense detail but she knew the basics and he’d been opening up to her about all his worries and fears for Magnus, especially over the past few days with the minimal contact that had enfolded them.

Everything seemed to be okay and then all of a sudden...No. Alec can’t think of this as the end. Magnus just probably needed some time and space and that’s totally understandable. Alec wasn’t about to pressure him but he needed Magnus to know that he would be there for him when he was needed, always.

Alec arrived at the building and made his way up the stairs. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus had spent the past few days with Cat, Ragnor and Raphael.

That Sunday evening, Cat came with Chairman Meow and they talked everything out, though he was a stuttering mess for the most of it. Cat was sure that maybe he should just come clean to Alec, tell him the truth and tell him that he’s in love with him. Alec will see that Magnus wasn’t out to hurt him or anything along those lines, but it was easier said than done. Magnus sure as hell wouldn’t like to be used in the way he was using Alec, even if he loved him.

They spent the first three weekdays in his loft, watching all his favourite movies and mostly ignoring any phone calls that came. Even Sebastian’s, which probably wasn’t ideal but Magnus was in no mood to talk to that dickhead.

He even stopped talking to Alec as much and he felt like he was missing a limb with not seeing him for over three days now. It was killing him, but so was being with Alec. It was an internal game of tug of war, where one end was being with Alec and trying not to think about how hurt they would both be by the end of this and the other end, staying away and causing less pain to Alec but letting his own life succumb to an abyss of immense darkness.

Life without Alexander Lightwood was exactly that...immense darkness.  A void where nothing and no one makes sense anymore.

For Magnus, Alec was the light at the end of the tunnel, but his route just kept taking him deeper and deeper into the wrong direction and that light became a distant point that seemed unreachable with every move he made.

Cat left this morning along with Raphael and Ragnor and this was the first time in three days that he was alone again, save for Chairman Meow. Magnus flopped down onto his sofa and Chairman jumped up onto his chest.

“You’re not going to leave me are you Chairman?” He asked while stroking the tabby behind his ears.

He just purred as a response but Magnus took that as a ‘no I won’t’.

He was about to drift off when the high pitched ring of a phone chimed, he groaned and got up to answer it, only it’s not his phone...it’s the burner.

_Fuck sake._

“What Sebastian?” Magnus gritted out through clenched teeth.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Why haven’t you answered, I’ve been calling for the past 5 days.” Sebastian hissed.

“For your information, I was busy, you asshole. You’re not my mother so just fuck off.” Magnus is in no mood to have this argument with Sebastian again.

“Well, did you go?” He completely ignores what Magnus just said.

“Yeah, there’s a safe in the room behind the books on the shelf so I presume that’s where the laptop is kept along with other evidence. I think the model suggests a 3 number combination so shouldn’t take too long to open. Get me an amplifying stethoscope and I’ll get your precious evidence. Now stop fucking bugging me you prick.” Magnus sneered and hung up before Sebastian could say one more word.

He wasn’t actually sure if he was going to go through with it but clearly his mind decided before his heart did and so he blurted everything out to Sebastian. Well, now he kind of had to do it.

With a big sigh, he moved to the couch again and sprawled himself across it, cuddling up to the Chairman for an overdue nap.

***

There was a loud, persistent knock and Magnus dragged himself off the couch towards door, opening it without checking who it was.

He was gripped by his shirt collar and pushed back into his loft by the intruder who shut the door behind them with a kick.

“I don’t care how much we need you to get this done or how high you fucking think of yourself, you don’t fucking hang up on me, got it?” Sebastian sneered.

“Well hello to you too sunshine.” Magnus greeted sarcastically.

 He mumbled something under his breath that Magnus didn’t quite catch and then let go of Magnus’ shirt while glaring at him.

“Did you want something? Apart from manhandling me of course...sorry princess but you’re not my type.” Magnus wasn’t sure where this jokey attitude had sprung from but he accepts it in its full glory anyway.

“Shut up, Bane. Just. Fuck. Here, your stethoscope. And for the love of god hurry up and leave Alec to get this shit over and done with.”

“Aww, does someone have a little crush?” Magnus teased.

“Don’t test my patience Bane” He retorted.

“Or what princess?” Magnus smirked.

“Or I’ll fucking shove your arrogan-“

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. They both froze and stared at where the sound came from.

“Magnus? Are you home?” Alec’s voice was heard from the other side.

“Shit!” Sebastian whispered. “Fuck, he can’t see me. Fuck sake Bane you could have told me he was coming. Shit.”

“I didn’t know he was coming you moron, I’m not stupid. Just, shit, go hide in the bathroom and I’ll get rid of him.” Magnus whispered back, heart aching at the way he had to say ‘get rid of him’ as if Alec had no importance when it couldn’t be further from the truth, but there was no way that he was about to declare his love for Alec to this wanker.

Sebastian went into the bathroom and Magnus took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Alexand-“

Alec pulled Magnus into a bone crushing hug, not letting him even finish and Magnus stilled before melting into the embrace that he had missed so much.

“Oh my god Magnus, I was really worried.” Alec mumbled into Magnus’ shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Magnus’ heart clenched at the concerned tone in Alec’s voice and he hates himself even more for being the one to put that there. How could he be so stupid and make Alec worry? Of course he’d worry.

“I-I’m sorry Alexander. I...I just had a-I’m sorry” Magnus stuttered.

“It’s okay; you don’t have to explain it. I understand. I’m just glad you’re here.” Alec reassured as he pulled back and cupped Magnus’ cheeks. “Just know that I’m here and you can talk to me okay? When things get bad, don’t push me away. I’ll always be here for you Magnus, always.”

Magnus could feel his eyes beginning to sting with tears so he nuzzled his head into Alec’s chest and wrapped his arms around him tightly, never wanting to let go.

He wished he could believe Alec, that he’d always be there...but he wouldn’t. And that’s something that’s not going to change so Magnus just had to accept it, this was the best it was going to get and then it’ll just crash and burn, like every one of Magnus’ love stories. Though this one will most definitely be the worst. Not just heartbreak, no, definitely not.

Losing Alec will break his soul.

Magnus stayed in Alec’s embrace for the better part of 5 minutes while Alec rubbed up and down his back, planting soft kisses to his head until Magnus remembered the presence of Satan in his bathroom.

_Fuck._

“Uh, can-can we go get some ice cream?” Magnus asked.

“Of course baby, let me go get your coat and shoes and we can go.” Alec smiled.

Magnus nodded and let go of Alec, but before he could walk away to Magnus’ closet, Magnus grabbed his hand drawing him back towards himself and inclined his head to place a kiss on Alec’s lips.

Alec kissed back just as lovingly and cupped Magnus’ face, pulling back to place a chaste kiss on his temple and then nose before smiling again and walking to get the coat and shoes.

Magnus stared after him for a few seconds before clearing his throat and rushing to the bathroom.

“I’m going out, just leave after us.” He said as quietly as possible to Sebastian and grabbed his lip balm so Alec doesn’t wander why he went to bathroom for nothing.

“Ready?” Magnus asked as he rubbed the balm over his lips.

Alec nodded and helped Magnus into his coat. He slipped his shoes on and they walked out of the loft hand in hand.

***

“Do you think you’re ready for it?” Magnus asked around a mouthful of strawberry cheesecake ice cream. They’re sat side by side in a booth at one of their favourite Deserts Parlour near Magnus’ loft while sharing a serving.

“Sort of, maybe? I’m nervous for it but I’m excited for the outcome, like, I could be a real Lawyer in less than 2 weeks.”

“I have no doubt that you’ll pass.” Magnus smiled and took another spoonful.

Alec began to giggle and Magnus’ raised an eyebrow in inquisition.

“You um, got a little something...” Alec explained while he leaned in to kiss Magnus, licking at his upper lip where there was probably some ice cream left over.

Magnus thought the ice cream tasted good but Alec and ice cream? Who could ask for a more perfect combination?

“You can always talk to me Magnus; I’m not going anywhere okay? Just...please, don’t push me away. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Alec said when he pulled back.

Magnus just nodded and rested his head on Alec’s shoulder, intertwining their fingers. He had no words to say, yet his mind was a whirlwind of unspoken truths and revelations that should be made.

Maybe Catarina was right, maybe he should just tell Alec. What’s the worst that could happen? He’ll lose Alec, but that was going to happen anyway right? Maybe this way Alec would learn to forgive him? No, of course not. Why would he? And still, if he told him now, he wouldn’t get the evidence and consequently, nothing would happen to Robert Lightwood, and there would be no vengeance for his father. Of course he can’t tell Alec, nope, no way.

**Alec PV**

After that Wednesday, Magnus didn’t avoid Alec again. Alec didn’t want to push Magnus to talk about anything; after all, he has every right to keep it to himself so he didn’t pester Magnus to explain why it happened. He did however constantly reassure Magnus that he’d be there, and always listen to whatever he had to say.

 He hadn’t yet told him he loved him, but he didn’t want to scare Magnus off. It’s been all of 5 weeks and he’s never been surer of his feelings for someone, but Magnus is different, and he can’t just blurt it out whenever. What if Magnus doesn’t feel the same and gets put off? What if he’d never feel the same?

No. That’s a stupid thought. He’s opened up a significant amount and that’s something he wouldn’t have done if Alec meant nothing right? Right. Of course. It’s just a matter of time, and patience. Alec could wait to tell him, they had all the time in the world. There was no need to rush anything...not relationship wise anyway.

Education wise? Yes. It was Saturday and the Bar was in 2 days. To say he was nervous was a serious, serious understatement. He spent the majority of the week studying, barely worked at Lydia’s Firm or saw Magnus, they only really texted and as much as Alec needed to revise, he was deprived of Magnus. Which was basically like being deprived of breathing and you don’t need to be a medical student to know that that’s bad. So that’s how he found himself on the walk to Magnus’ loft at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night while everyone else was out clubbing.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, he pulled it out and saw it was the group chat that had him, Izzy, Jace, Clary and Simon.

**J: Brooooo! Dude, like, we know you stressing and shit but go blow off some steam! Please man**

**C: Yeah, or just go blow Magnus ;)**

**I: OMG CLARY! Nice one!**

**C: I know right! I’m proud of myself too**

**J: Yeah bro, just. Please man okay we love you Alwc, we luv youuuuuu <3 <3 <£**

**A: Guys....what the fuck is wrong with you. And how much did you give Jace to drink? Seriously**

**I: Not a lot big brother, he’s fine. He’s just asking Clary if she has a boyfriend. Totally fine**

**I: More importantly, can you please take a break and go to see Magnus or something?**

**A: He’s such a dumbass sometimes honestly, and yeah. I’m going to Magnus’ right now**

**A: And before you say it, no, NOT to blow him. You guys are way too invested in my sex life**

**A: It’s unhealthy**

**I: Oh shut up, you love us. Tell Magnus we said Hi and you have a good night... _Alexander ;)_**

**A: I’m done**

**A: Done.**

**A: Please make sure Jace doesn’t call me while he’s pissed off his head...I don’t want the vivid details of his morning shit again.**

**I: No promises big brother. Plus, he’s a little preoccupied with his tongue down Clary’s throat so I doubt he has time to make any crucial calls soon**

**A: Totally needed to know that Iz...gross. You and your straight PDA. Anyway, see you later**

**I: Byeee, be safe!**

Alec rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back in his pocket. His siblings were a handful and having Clary and Simon added on did not make it any easier. It was like he was babysitting a bunch of horny 16 year olds sometimes.

Alec knocked on the door and was greeted with the sight of Magnus, clad in silk pyjamas and fluffy slippers that just looked like clouds on his feet. He was bare of any make up and his hair was a little damp, stuck to his head and he looked even more adorable than ever, if that was humanly possible.

“You’re so goddamn cute.” Alec smiled.

“Thank you, Alexander. To what do I owe this pleasure? I thought you had studying to do?” Magnus inquired as he moved aside to let Alec through.

“I do, but then I thought...I have an amazing, gorgeous boyfriend and that sounds waaaay better than studying to do.” Alec winked and wrapped his arms around Magnus, pulling him into a hug.

“My my Alexander. What happened to the blushing, innocent boy I met at Pandemonium?” Magnus asked as he circled Alec’s waist.

“He’s been running on about 3 litres of coffee in the past two days along with 6 hours of sleep, and has been seriously deprived of his boyfriend.”

“Well let me see what I can do about that.” Magnus smiled and led Alec to the couch. He gently pushed him back to sit down. “Get undressed; I’ll go get you some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Pick out a movie my muffin.” He handed Alec the remote and moved to the closet, returning a moment later with said clothing and placed them on the couch.

Magnus’ gaze roamed over Alec as he stood in his boxers, then shook his head moving to the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Alec called out.

“I’m making some hot chocolate my darling, put some clothes on before you freeze yourself and I’ll be there in a few minutes or so.”

“Okay.” Alec pulled on the pants and t-shirt before moving to get the blanket and some pillows to put on the couch making it comfy. He scrolled through the film choices, deciding on Pirates of the Caribbean and plopped down onto the sofa.

Magnus returned a couple of minutes later with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate covered in whipped cream and marshmallows along with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch...Alec’s favourite cereal despite the shit load of sugar that covered in it. It’s literally the definition of diabetes in the form of breakfast foods –or evening snack in this situation. He licked his lips and Magnus grinned at him.

They snuggled up next to each other on the couch with Chairman Meow too and had their drink and snacks while watching the movie, exchanging lazy kisses along the way.

Alec was thinking the whole time how lucky he was to have Magnus and all his worries about the Bar flew out of his head while all things Magnus flew right in.

He was so calm and collected that he didn’t even notice as he drifted off to sleep, head falling onto Magnus’ shoulder as the lack of sleep and exhaustion hit him like a brick wall.

He wasn’t entirely certain of what was going on but managed to comprehend that Magnus was shaking him awake so they could move to the bed.

Alec fell into a deep, peaceful slumber surrounded by the scent of Magnus and his arms wrapped around him. Nothing could be more perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! See you all next time (probably tomorrow since my plan of weekly posting completely flew out of the window as you can tell) <3


	10. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec takes the Bar and Magnus has designated himself the role of keeping Alec distracted up until results day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOSH...guys, thank you for your comments and kudos and reading and ah just everything. It motivates me even more to write this fic and I cannot thank you enough for it. Anywayyys, same disclaimers as usual and *** is a time jump. The bit below the line is no perspective in particular.  
> Hope you enjoy it!

**Magnus PV**

Magnus woke up the following morning, head on Alec’s chest and arms wrapped around him. He wished he could wake up like this every day, in the arms of the man he loved.

Alec was stressing an unbelievable amount about the Bar that he was taking tomorrow and it was worrying Magnus. He was not sleeping very well or eating for that matter and Magnus was sure that as soon as he was up and dressed, he would head back home to cram in more studying. Magnus knew he had to help Alec de-stress otherwise he would overwork himself and not be clear minded when taking the Bar, so with that thought in mind, he silently opened the bedside table drawer and took out the lube and a condom.

Alec was still sleeping so Magnus decided to prepare himself, he slipped off his silk bottoms and boxers, and then proceeded to coat three of his fingers in lube. He circled his entrance, biting back a gasp at the cold lube against the sensitive skin, before slowly pushing one finger in.

He turned his head to look at Alec who was snoring lightly, but his dishevelled bed head and all around sexy-ness was enough to give Magnus provocation and so he began moving his finger in and out of himself, eventually adding in the second and scissoring them open.

He was surprised Alec wasn’t waking up at the sound of his moans considering how close they were next to each other but didn’t think on it too much as now three fingers were working him open.

Once he felt ready, he removed his fingers and pulled the covers away from Alec. He slipped his fingers into the waistband of Alec’s sweatpants and tugged them down along with his boxers, freeing his cock and Magnus licked his lips at the sight.

He reached up and planted a small kiss on Alec’s lips and then cheek, moving to his neck and shoulder, stopping where the edge of his t-shirt began. Magnus rolled up the clothing a little to reveal more of Alec’s hips, kissing and nibbling along his tattoo.

Alec stirred a little but didn’t fully wake up so Magnus circled the head before taking Alec into his mouth, sucking him until he became fully erect and eventually Alec woke up.

“Magn-uuuh what-“ Alec clenched his eyes shut and tipped his head back as Magnus bobbed his head up and down, proficiently sucking to give Alec the most pleasure he was capable of until he decided it was enough and so drew back to look right at Alec.

“You’re tense my darling, and I know you’re going to dive right into you studying when you leave soon so let me do this okay?” Magnus said.

Alec looked up at him, big hazel eyes as they reflected on what Magnus just said, seemingly making a decision on whether to say yes or no.

Magnus raised an eyebrow and slowly moved his hands to push the shirt up further, Alec didn’t protest, in fact, he nodded and helped Magnus remove the last item of clothing from his body before unbuttoning Magnus shirt and discarding it.

Alec placed a hand behind Magnus’ neck and pulled him down to crash their lips together in a frenzy of lust and need.

It was a mess of tongue and teeth but it was still perfect and Magnus was reluctant to pull back, but he did and it made Alec whimper from the loss as he chased his lips.

Magnus moved from his position in between Alec’s legs to straddle them instead, tearing the condom wrapper before rolling it over Alec’s length and giving a few strokes to coat it in the little amount of lube that was left on his fingers. He placed a hand on Alec’s chest, the other on Alec’s dick before descending down on it slowly until he was fully seated.

“Magnus! Stop! You’re going to hurt yourself!” Alec protested.

“It’s okay my darling, I-mmh-I already prepared myself. Now shut up and just kiss me.” Magnus leaned down and connected their lips, stopping Alec from whatever he might have said in response.

Once a minute or so had passed, Magnus broke their kiss and steadied himself by placing both of his hands on Alec’s chest while Alec’s own hands went to Magnus’ hips. He rose a little bit before slamming back down and continued this motion, making them both moan in pleasure.

“Fuck Alexa-Alexander you-feel so-mmhm-so good darling.” Magnus panted. 

Alec cursed under his breath and gripped Magnus’ hips tighter as he met Magnus in every thrust, the sound of skin slapping skin ringing out through the loft.

Magnus raked his glitter black polished nails over Alec’s torso, probably a little too hard but he couldn’t help himself as the angle changed and Alec hit his prostate dead on.

“Righ-ahh shitt here.” He demanded and before he could comprehend what was happening, Alec rolled him over without pulling out and their positions were switched, Alec on top, thrusting into Magnus with all he had hitting that sweet bundle of nerves again and again.

“Mah-Magnus I-I’m close.” Alec grunted.

“Me too...let go baby-le-mmh-let go.”

And so Alec did. He came hard, still thrusting as he rode through his orgasm. Magnus followed not long after, painting his stomach white as he came untouched.

Alec dropped down on Magnus, completely exhausted but content in euphoria. It was absolute bliss.

“Hey Mags?” Alec mumbled.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you."

“You’re most welcome my dear, now you go get your game on and you kick the Bar right in the balls, okay?”

Alec chuckled. “Okay.”

* * *

They showered together –and got another round in but no one’s counting- before having breakfast. Alec left midday and Magnus decided to go shopping to get his mind off this whole conundrum that was still going on in his head.

The next day, Magnus went to Alec’s house early to surprise him with some breakfast that he was sure Alec would have skipped out on. They walked to where Alec was taking the Bar together and Magnus gave him a big, sloppy ‘good luck’ kiss and ended up waiting the whole time till Alec finished so they could do something after. Alec was panicking by Magnus managed to calm him with lunch and laser quest –it was a childish thing to do but it worked so no one’s complaining.

Unfortunately, they were on opposing teams and Magnus won though according to Alec, he cheated. He snuck up behind Alec and attacked him with his lips, which naturally distracted him and then Magnus shot him. Alec was flabbergasted and appalled; it was most definitely not fair play. Magnus wouldn’t shut up about it the whole way home so Alec shut him up by giving him a ‘thank you for being the best boyfriend but also a cheater at laser quest’ blowjob which Magnus happily accepted. They spent the evening watching films and ended up having a pillow fight that ended with sex, obviously.

Tuesday went by really quickly; Magnus had classes and Alec had a whole day at work in Lydia’s firm. They spent the evening together though and Magnus cooked them homemade Pizza that was absolutely divine. They watched trash TV and fell asleep on the couch wrapped in each other’s arms and with Chairman Meow curled up next to them.

The next day, Magnus had to go see Satan which wasn’t his idea of a thrilling morning when he could have spent it with Alec, but they had to discuss the operation and devise a plan for Magnus to obtain the evidence and files. He arrived home and was in an absolutely foul mood, but Alec managed to cheer him up with a song that he wrote and they spent the day baking so much junk food that they ended up inviting over Cat, Raphael, Ragnor, Izzy, Jace, Clary and Simon for dinner and desserts and game night. It was a perfect evening. They played cards against humanity which was hilarious and then truth or dare with alcohol which made Alec blush so much that Magnus feared his head might just burst any second. They all spent the night and though this has been Magnus’ home for almost 2 months, he has never felt at home until now. These people were his home, they were his family and the thought of losing it made him stay up all night as he tried desperately hard to burn this moment into his memory. Cat ended up waking in the middle of the night and she held Magnus until the early hours of sunrise while he silently cried.

Thursday was like any other Uni day, Alec had classes and Magnus had classes but in the evening they went out for dinner and Alec took Magnus bowling. Magnus cheated again by putting Alec off, whispering things in his ear or shaking his hips a little dramatically when he was taking his turn which drove Alec to the brink of insanity. By the time they got home, he was insatiable and they fucked till the early hours of the morning.

Friday they spent the day with Max, going to the zoo and roaming around Manhattan. Unfortunately, they bumped into Sebastian and it was awkward as fuck. Magnus had to pretend not to know him and Alec was super uncomfortable. Later that evening, he explained how he met Sebastian at a party on Campus and they became friends but he ended up throwing himself on Alec and Alec ran away. He wasn’t interested in that sense and Sebastian was really forceful so he never spoke to him again. Magnus wanted to kill the bastard for ever doing that to Alec and it made him hate him even more if that was remotely possible.

The weekend was spent at Alec’s with the whole gang and it was a perfect two days. Games, drinking, movies and junk food. Alec was completely distracted the whole week and wasn’t nervous at all for his results...until Monday morning.

**Alec PV**

“Good Morning my muffin.” Magnus said as he stretched his arms, letting out a yawn that Alec found way too adorable.

“Morning” Alec smiled and kissed Magnus’ cheek.

“How we feeling?” Magnus had made it a priority of his to ask this every morning since last Monday to make sure Alec wasn’t over thinking about his results and Alec loved him all the more for it. The whole week he spent making sure Alec was enjoying his time and getting his mind off it, Magnus was just the best boyfriend and Alec couldn’t even put into words how much he loved him. He almost let those words slip a significant amount of times but he bit back his words.

“Pretty good, I think.” He answered and Magnus raised his eyebrows.

“Well that’s better than what I expected.”Alec chuckled.

 “What time shall we leave?” Magnus asked.

“What, you’re com-coming with me?” Alec asked in disbelief.

“Of course my pumpkin, I’ll always be wherever you need me, for as long as you’ll have me.”  Magnus cupped Alec’s face and planted a small, chaste kiss on his lips.

There he goes, saying things like that and kissing Alec like it was second nature and it was driving Alec insane.

Absolutely, unquestionably insane.

This was it, he couldn’t hide back anymore. He had to tell Magnus.

“Magnus, I-I-“

Alec was interrupted by a squeal followed by a shriek followed by someone pouncing on his bed, crushing him and Magnus in the process.

Alec just glared at Izzy, not saying anything. She seriously had the worst timing ever.

“Aleeeeeeccc! You’re getting your results today Oh MY Goooood!” She cheered. “This is so exciting! We’re all coming with you. All of us!”

Alec just groaned and nuzzled his head into Magnus’ chest while the latter chuckled, his chest vibrating under Alec’s head.

“Magnus! Your boyfriend’s gonna be a Lawyer! A fucking Lawyer!” She declared enthusiastically.

“Yes my cupcake, I know! I don’t just date him for nothing you know. I have high standards.” Magnus teased.

“You know I might not pass right? I might not be a Lawyer...are you gonna leave me then?” Alec said, his words muffled by Magnus’ chest.

“Excuse me!” Magnus and Izzy said immediately.

“You _are_ going to be a Lawyer. You’ve passed Alec, and there’s no doubt about it so get your head out of your self-deprecating ass and accept that we all know you’re going to pass and you know you’re going to pass. Be the pretentious twat we all know you want to be.” Izzy scolded.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t use the exact words that our dear Isabelle used but she’s right Alexander, you have nothing to fear and deep down you know you’ve done it.” Magnus agreed.

Alec knew there was no use in denying it when the Magnus-Izzy team (or Magzy as Izzy referred to them as) were his opponents. He may as well admit defeat and so he just groaned and that sufficed as an agreement in his terms.

Izzy hummed in approval. “Good, now get up you two. I’m making breakfast for-“

“NO!” Alec interjected, “Please Iz, don’t make breakfast.” He pleaded.

“I’m not that bad you know.” She countered.

“Iz, I love you but we both know you can’t cook to save your life. Remember that time you tried to make egg and toast? The toast was practically ashes and the egg was burned...along with the pan, the countertop and the spatula. We kept it all just for proof that you can’t cook, and the marks are still on the counter.”

“Yeah but that was one time.”

Alec raised an eyebrow.

“...okay 5 times.”

“Exactly.” He concluded. “We’ll go Java okay. Now can you leave so I can kiss my boyfriend good morning without my sister watching?” He wasn’t sure where the burst of confidence to say that came from but he took it in stride and Magnus’s wide grin made him feel better about admitting it. 

She snickered and rolled off the bed, leaving the two of them alone.

“That was quite a declaration Alexander.” Magnus smirked.

“Shut up and come here.” Alec smiled and pulled Magnus on top of him, crashing their lips together.

If he was interrupted from saying ‘I love you’, the least he could do was kiss Magnus to show it, even if Magnus wasn’t aware of it.

They pulled back and Magnus planted a soft kiss on his nose. “Good Morning indeed.” He winked.

“Come shower with me?” Alec asked, though it was hardly said as a question and more of a demand. Magnus would never turn down that offer.

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” He kissed Alec once more before getting up and dragging Alec with him straight to the bathroom.

They hopped into the hot shower and Magnus attacked his lips instantly. Alec circled Magnus waist, pulling him close so not a sliver of air was present between them and Magnus flung his arms around Alec’s neck to tilt his head down and deepen the kiss. He licked along Alec’s lips, parting them and slipping his tongue in. There was no fight for dominance and no urgency in the kiss; it was simple and sweet with just the right amount of passion and heat.

Alec pushed Magnus back a little until he was flush with the cold tile wall making him gasp at the sudden temperature change. His hands moved into Alec’s hair, raking his nails through it and Alec grabbed a hold of his wrists, pinning them above Magnus’ head. Alec bit on Magnus’ bottom lip before moving to kiss along his jaw line up to his ear.

His lips brushed against Magnus’ ear lobe and Magnus purred sinfully, sending the blood straight to Alec’s cock.

“Alexa-ahh-Alexander...I-I need you to fuck me. I want your name burning on my skin...I-I want your presence tattooed on me. FUCK Alexander fuck me please-please” Magnus pleaded.

Alec was speechless. Magnus was surely going to be the death of him one of these days. This sexy, gorgeous, all around fucking beautiful man was slowly and unequivocally becoming the reason for living, the reason for Alec to be alive, his reason to live and love.

Magnus was Alec’s purpose.

And so he crashed his lips to Magnus’s hurriedly, because who was he to deny the man he loved what he asked for?

Magnus trembled beneath him as Alec moved to suck on one of his nipples while his fingers brushed along Magnus’ lips and Magnus accepted them instantly, sucking on them hungrily as if even a nanosecond of hesitation would be too long to wait.

Alec fell to his knees and Magnus turned around parting his cheeks, giving Alec full reign over his ass and he moaned at the sight of Magnus’ perfect hole. Every part of Magnus was a blessing to this Earth and Alec was grateful every day that he was the one that was allowed to admire Magnus in every way possible, love Magnus in every way possible.

Alec licked across Magnus’ entrance eliciting the sluttiest moan he’s ever heard and that enough would have made him come, but he held off because Magnus wanted him...needed him.

He pushed his tongue into the ring of muscles and felt them relaxing almost immediately. His finger circled Magnus before pushing it in too and Magnus was a whimpering mess at Alec’s mercy.

Alec worked him open with two fingers, scissoring him and placing soft kisses on Magnus thighs as he added the third finger, but this wasn’t enough for Magnus.

“Alexan-der just get-ahh-get in me right now.”

Alec pulled his fingers out and lined himself up, ready to meet Magnus’ requests but stopped just as the tip of his cock brushed Magnus’ entrance.

“Wha-why did you stop?”

“I-Magnus I don’t have a condom.” Alec announced, truly disappointed in the turn of events.

“Fuck it, doesn’t matter. I trust you Alec, I’m clean and I trust you and I want to be yours in every way.”

Alec just stared at Magnus in disbelief...is he for real?

As if Magnus read his thoughts, he turned around and kissed Alec before staring directly into his eyes. “I trust you Alec and I want this. Do you want this?” He asked without a sliver of doubt in his eyes.

Alec wasn’t confident in himself to speak lucid words so he just nodded a little incredulously, unable to comprehend whether this was a dream or not.

All of that dissipated as soon as Magnus turned around and pushed back on Alec’s cock...yep, this was definitely real and holy fuck Magnus felt so good. Unbelievably good.

“Fuck me Alexander.” Magnus panted.

And so Alec did, he thrust with every fibre of his being, the sound of skin slapping together mixed with moans and mumbled curses and names resonating through the steamed bathroom and before he knew it, he was painting the inside of Magnus with his release while Magnus came all over the tiled wall.

Alec pulled out after they both caught their breath and he could see his come trickle down the inside of Magnus’ thighs and it was indeed a sight to behold.

At that moment Alec knew he didn’t just fuck Magnus, he made love.

***

Once they cleaned up and got dressed, they made their way down to the kitchen where they were met with a knowing look and smirk from Izzy.

“What took you guys so long huh?” She asked with that shit eating grin while Alec threw his arms over Magnus’ shoulders from behind him and Magnus placed his hands over Alec’s.

“Well Isabelle, I just had the most amaaazing sex of my life so it was bound to take a while. Sorry cupcake.” Magnus declared shamelessly.

Alec would have blushed bright red if he had not been so caught up in what they just did and Magnus’ words, so he just smiled as innocently as possible at his sister and kissed Magnus cheek.

“I forgive you because you guys are just so perfect. You’re so in lov-“

“ALEC FUCK YES YOU’RE GOING TO BE A LAWYER MY MAN!” Jace shouted as he entered the kitchen, hand in hand with Clary, cutting off Izzy before she could finish.

Alec just chuckled, trying to drive away what he knew Izzy was about to say.

Cat, Ragnor, Raphael and Simon all walked in too and Simon just stared at Magnus and Alec as if he was utterly disturbed.

“Sasha, what’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”  Magnus asked.

“I-uh-nothing. It’s nothing.” He stammered, now looking anywhere but at Alec and Magnus.

“Si, you okay?” Alec asked, slightly concerned.

“Por el amor de Dios, he went into Alec’s room to get cologne and heard you two fucking each other’s brains out and now he’s scarred for life.” Raphael stated while glaring at Magnus. “You can’t give it a rest for like five minutes can you mi amigo?”

“Raphael, I’m sorry I traumatized your Shamus but he should proceed with caution next time. It’s not our fault he was trespassing. And as for ‘giving it a rest’, have you seen Alexander? I wouldn’t be able to give it a rest even if I tried.”

Alec buried his head in Magnus’ shoulder, unable to look anyone in the eye.

“Oookay...uh, can we get going before I puke? I think I’ve heard enough about my brother’s sex life to serve for the next 50 years.” Jace groaned irritably.

“I’ll come to you when you’re 71 and give you an update then blondie.” Magnus promised happily before wiggling out of Alec’s hold and taking his hand while walking out of the door.

Alec’s heart fluttered, Magnus basically just said he’d be here in 50 years time, still with Alec. All thoughts of his results were just washed away by the idea of Magnus and him together for the rest of their lives and it made him smile like the lovesick idiot that he was.

***

Alec stood facing everyone, results in the envelope in his hand. Lydia, Max and his parents had joined their little group too and it all felt a little too overwhelming but he was grounded by Magnus who was clinging onto his arm and looking up at him.

He looked down at Magnus and Alec couldn’t register anyone else apart from them two, all the other observing and expectant eyes on him were irrelevant now. He and Magnus were the only two people in the world at that moment in time for him.

With a deep breath and shaky hands, he opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish so google translate wrote that for me. Also, I am by no means studying Law, far from it actually and I'm not even American so I just made up the time it'd take to get results. It's probably not accurate so sorryyy. Second also, sorry that this chapter was basically just like porn with little to no story progression...but savour this sex and fluff for it may not last D: dun dun duuuuhhhh  
> <3


	11. Final Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was it. This was goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh okay, thanks to everyone who reads, comments and leaves kudos. You guys are amazing! <3  
> Same disclaimers as usual  
> *** is time jump  
> The bit below the line is no perspective in particular  
> That's all my snoogums boogums, enjoy!

**Alec PV**

Alec stared at the paper in disbelief, the words written there not actually making any sense to him. It was hard to believe that everything he had worked so hard for was dictated on this piece of paper.

Magnus was next to him and he could see the results too, but he didn’t say anything. There was just a small smile on his face as he looked up into Alec’s eyes with nothing but admiration.

Robert cleared his throat and Alec was drawn back to look at all the expectant and curious gazes that were focused on him and so the next words flew out of him without a single stutter, as if he could finally comprehend what he just read.

“I’m a Lawyer.”

**Magnus PV**

Everyone erupted into cheer and words of praise but Magnus could care less about that. Alec just passed the fucking Bar, he was a Lawyer!

And so Magnus rose on his toes a little and kissed him, passionately, lovingly and proudly. His hands moved around Alec’s neck and Alec’s own circled Magnus’ waist, drawing him closer. They pulled back and Magnus nuzzled his face in the crook of Alec’s neck, just breathing in his scent before he spoke.

“Alexander, I am so proud of you.” He whispered.

“Thank you Magnus...for everything.” Alec whispered back and their hug was instantly bombarded by Isabelle and Jace.

“Alec! Oh my gosh this is amazing. I told you you’d pass!” Izzy exclaimed cheerfully.

They all let go of each other and everyone hugged Alec and Magnus was admiring all this love that filled the space around them, encompassing them in this little bubble that was just beyond perfect. He was immensely proud and his heart fluttered at the thought of everyone feeling the same way, Alec deserved this.

Magnus was so engrossed in watching Alec and his reactions to everyone that he didn’t notice Robert come up to stand next to him. Before he could even ask or say anything, Robert pulled him into a tight and warm embrace. Magnus hated that he melted into it; he shouldn’t, after all this man killed his father. But there was something so fatherly about his gesture and Magnus had missed that paternal aspect of his life that he was ripped away from all too soon so accepting a hug from the one to rip it away was a frenzy of emotions as to whether he should pull away or continue standing there in the arms of Robert.

“I know you’re new to this family son, but we’re so happy that Alec has you and we see how much you care for him. So thank you for bringing happiness into his life and our life.” Robert said affectionately as he patted Magnus’ back and pulled away, holding Magnus at arm’s length.

Magnus was completely, utterly befuddled and perplexed, was this man for real? What was he trying to accomplish tugging at Magnus’ heart strings? It was becoming a sick, sick game and he wanted so badly just to forfeit and accept everything around him, but that would mean losing the game and he could not to that to his father.

With all the strength and confidence he could muster, he nodded and smiled at Robert before speaking, “Thank you for accepting me into your family.” The words pained him but he tried to wash it away by looking over to Alec who was now kneeling and hugging Max.

Robert placed his hand on Magnus’ back and ushered him back to where everyone else were gathered and cleared his throat.

“We will celebrate Alec becoming a Lawyer tonight, all together.” He smiled enthusiastically and chatter ensued instantly about the evening to come.

***

**Alec PV**

This was one of the happiest days in Alec’s life. He was surrounded by the people he loved celebrating his first step into his career and he couldn’t be more ecstatic about it.

After getting his results, they all went to a diner near the campus and had lunch apart from Maryse and Robert who went home to plan the party.

It was honestly so invigorating to be a part of this family that had only grown in the last month or so. The addition of Magnus, Cat, Ragnor and Raphael had only made it better and Alec wouldn’t trade this for the world.

Alec and Magnus parted ways as Magnus said he needed to look fabulous for this party tonight as he’d be meeting a lot of Alec’s family and friends. Alec assured him that he always looked fabulous and Magnus agreed as modestly as he could but insisted it was necessary so Alec let him go.

He was then dragged to the mall by Izzy who was adamant on him getting something ‘strikingly sexy’ so he and Magnus would look like the power couple that they are. He was not on board with the idea until she mentioned Magnus and then he willingly went and they managed to pick out a suit and Alec bought a little gift for Magnus.

He knew how much his boyfriend had done over the past week, being there for him when he was on the brink of panic and he loved Magnus all the more for it. It wasn’t some extravagant gift but it was meaningful and that was all that mattered.

Izzy bought a dress and some shoes and once home, they all got dressed and made their way to their parent’s house.   

“Hello sweetie.” Maryse welcomed and hugged Alec, placing a kiss on each of his cheeks. “You look lovely! Did Isabelle pick it out?”

“Hey mom, yeah, all Izzy.” Alec chuckled.

“She does have good taste.” She smiled and turned her attention to Izzy, “Honey! You look spectacular. That dress is gorgeous.”

She enveloped Izzy in a hug and tenderly stroked her hair before placing a kiss on her cheeks too.

“Thanks mom.”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Jace went to Clary’s to get ready so they’ll come together. Magnus went home to get ready and he said he’ll come with Cat and Ragnor later and Raph and Si will make their own way too. Not sure about Lydia but I guess she’ll just turn up whenever.” Izzy explained and Maryse nodded understandingly as they made their way further into the house.

It was decorated royal blue and gold, balloons and streamers along with other ornaments in every place that Alec could lay his eyes on. It was impressive to say the least considering the time they had to plan it.

As if Maryse read his mind, she smirked before speaking. “We had this planned before hand; we had no doubt about you passing Alec.”

Was it really only Alec that was irresolute of himself? It seemed so.

He just smiled and kissed his mothers cheek. After a while, Robert came home from the precinct, he was called in on emergency for something but said it was sorted now, thankfully.

Not long after, the house was filled with their guests who had all congratulated Alec and given him gifts. He felt like it was his birthday or something with all the attention, it was nice but all he really wanted was Magnus who still wasn’t there yet so he pulled out his phone to text him.

**A: Are you still coming or did you get a better offer?**

**M: Of course I am my dear. There’s no better offer than you, we’re on our way now...unless you mean the other kind of coming in which case, unfortunately I’m not :(**

**A: Okay good, see you soon <3**

**A: And maybe we can address that issue later ;)**

**M: Sounds like a plan, see you soon muffin <3**

Alec smiled at his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. It was silly but the idea of seeing Magnus all dressed up always made him feel giddy. In fact, the idea of seeing Magnus at all made him feel giddy, period. He couldn’t help it.

To not go crazy waiting for Magnus to arrive, Alec delved into a conversation with Hodge about work and him possibly joining the DA office one day.

All thoughts were flushed out of his head and his mind went blank as Magnus stepped through the front door, looking like the magnificent God he was.

He was dressed in black suit pants and a matching blazer, the lapels and pockets with satin touches. His shirt was royal blue and matched the decorations implicitly; embellished with sequins that shimmered under the reflection of the light. His hair was spiked up, the tips dyed silver and his long, elegant fingers were adorned in a multitude of rings and his cuff sat on his ear cartilage. Of course, he had silver glitter sprinkled onto him and he looked like a shining, beautiful sapphire gem.

He always managed to take Alec’s breath away.

They walk towards each other, slow and calculated movements as if the whole world ceased to exist beyond them two in that room.

Alec exhaled heavily as they stood barely an inch apart. “Hey” He greeted, a little breathless.  

“Hey yourself” Magnus smiled and Alec lost the all self restraint he had to calm the PDA this evening.

He grabbed the lapels of Magnus’ jacket and smashed their lips together.

**Magnus PV**

After Magnus had left Alec to go home and get dressed, he was in an amazingly good mood. Why wouldn’t he be? Alec was ecstatically happy and that’s all Magnus could wish for so he was more than excited to celebrate with everyone toady. He was that excited that the fact of being at Robert’s house didn’t even unnerve him at all.

Obviously, the Universe was out to get him and all that dissipated the instant the burner phone rang. He really, _really_ didn’t want to deal with Sebastian right now but for some reason, answered the call anyway.

“What’s up Princess?”

“We heard Alec passed the Bar and Robert’s throwing a party.”

_Fuck_

Magnus could already tell where this conversation was going and he did not like it one bit.

“Lots of people so lots of distractions, and I presume you’ll be staying the night. You could slip away and get the job done tonight.” Sebastian added.

“Yep, I totally could.” Magnus said flatly.

“Bane, don’t test my patience. The quicker you do it, the quicker we can get Robert behind bars. It’s your choice but I know you’ll make the right one, you’re not an idiot.”

“I’ve got to get ready. Bye Sebastian.” Magnus said, done with the conversation even before it started.

He knew Sebastian was right, he couldn’t get carried away and the quicker he got away from Alec, the better for his heartbreak. So he finished getting dressed and shoved the stethoscope and flash drives into his overnight bag that he packed and made his way to pick up Cat and Ragnor to head to the party.

What he wasn’t expecting on his arrival was Alec looking dapper and sexy as fuck, clad in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt that accented his muscles admirably. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone revealing a fragment of his fine chest hair and it was driving Magnus incredibly wild.

The whole situation got even better as Alec kissed him as if his life depended on it and Magnus melted into it, savouring the taste of cherries which was unbelievably random but most definitely welcome.

Magnus pulled back and his lips ghosted Alec’s as they breathed heavily. “Cherries?”

“Needed a snack.” Alec replied.

“It tastes good.”

“You look stunning baby.”

“As do you my darling, breathtakingly sexy.”

Alec chuckled and pressed their lips together once more before taking Magnus’ hand and introducing him to the various new guests.

They stopped next to a man that Magnus recognised instantly, his heart dropping in his chest.

“Magnus, this is Hodge, he’s the lieutenant at the precinct and one of my dad’s closest friends. Hodge, this is Magnus, my boyfriend.” Alec introduced and Magnus forced a smile while stretching his hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you Hodge.”

“You too, it’s nice to finally meet the man that Robert can’t stop talking about.” Hodge said with a smirk and Magnus tried not to punch the twat.

He was the mole, well, one of them anyway. And the fact that he thinks he can be all smug just increases Magnus’ urges to kill the wanker there and then.

Thankfully, Magnus didn’t have to respond as Hodge was pulled away by someone.

“He’s been working with my dad forever and he’s basically like a second dad to us. They met when they first started working on a case like 6 or 7 years ago about some guy and his organisation of drug cartels and human trafficking and like hacking or something like that. Apparently there were a lot of deaths around that time that were deemed as ‘natural causes’ but they all seemed linked to him and no one could figure it out but something happened and they had to drop the case and the guy got away. I remember Hodge being here practically every night for almost a year as they worked on that case.” Alec explained.

Magnus was too caught up in the fact that this disgusting mole was so close to Alec and his family. Fuck Robert obviously but everyone else was innocent and it was making him angrier by the minute that this guy had their trust. He didn’t deserve it.

Alec cupped his cheek and stroked his thumb over Magnus’ cheekbone and Magnus was bought back to the present from his mini reality of murdering this liar and traitor. “Uh-sounds terrible. Let’s hope they can catch him one day.” Magnus said somewhat absentmindedly.

“Hmm, are you okay?” Alec asked, clearly picking up on Magnus’ vacant state of mind.

“Mhm...Yep. Yeah. Definitely, let’s get a drink.” Magnus took a hold of Alec’s hand and lead him to the kitchen where the drinks were.

* * *

 

Soon after, everyone toasted to Alec and they had celebratory champagne. Magnus talked to more of the guests and then they all danced together, drinking and laughing away. The alcohol relaxed Magnus and he felt a little less nervous about the whole ordeal.

He ended up having a conversation with Robert about him possibly joining the task force after graduation as they could always use tech experts, especially with a current case that they’re working on. The whole time, Magnus was trying to tell himself that this man was a murderer and he shouldn’t like him. It was easier said than done though; Robert seemed like an actual good man, and a good father which made this all the more confusing.

He tried desperately hard to drive every thought of betraying Alec and his family away because he wanted to enjoy the night. This final night before it all ended.

They ate dinner and mingled some more. Isabelle was overjoyed at her meddling as Helen (Lydia’s colleague at the firm) and Aline (Alec’s old family friend) got along perfectly well. Lydia even met someone, a man called Dylan who worked with Robert too. Magnus was sceptical since he knew some of them were moles but his first judgement after talking to him was that he seemed trustworthy so he ignored his doubts.

Eventually, people started leaving since it was a Monday evening after all. Before Hodge left, he pulled Magnus aside and told him that he should get it done tonight since the case was getting heavier with evidence. He was also way too proud with saying that apparently Robert really did talk about Magnus a lot and that he really liked him so this turn of events will be a kick to the balls that he deserved for killing Asmodeus. Magnus had to clench his fists so hard that his nails broke the skin of his palm to restrain himself from strangling the bastard to death.

Just as Cat was leaving, she told Magnus to be careful and to call her if he needed anything and then she was gone along with everyone else, leaving the Lightwood family, Clary and Magnus in the house.

They all said their goodnights to each other and Robert hugged Magnus once more, making him feel even shittier about it all on the way to Alec’s bedroom.

Once there, he sat down on the bed, reminiscing this whole evening leaving out the bad parts. It was so amazing, to be able to celebrate like that as part of a family with Alec, the man he loved and it began to dawn upon him what he was about to do. In less than 24 hours, he’ll no longer be able to kiss Alec, be able to hug him or talk to him or tell him he loves him or anything at all. He will be alone again.

He’ll lose his family, again.

**Magnus PV**

The bed dipped and Magnus looked to the side where Alec now sat.

“You okay Mags?” He asked with his brows furrowed in concern.

“Yeah, it was just weird doing this, like being part of a celebration like this with friends and family. I haven’t had it in a long time.” Magnus confessed.

“I can understand that. I hope you enjoyed it though, and I hope you know that everyone is so happy to have you here. My dad really likes you too, like a lot, Hodge wasn’t wrong when he said that dad doesn’t shut up about you.” 

They both chuckled at that and Magnus tried desperately to ignore the pang in his chest.

“Listen, I uh- got something for you.” Alec said and Magnus met his gaze.

“You’re the one who’s supposed to be getting gifts today.” Magnus smiled fondly while Alec reached inside his pants pocket and presented said gift to Magnus.

“It’s an Omamori charm. It’s supposed to bring you luck and protection. I-I want you to know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and you make me feel so lucky. I can only hope to do the same for you, and I promise I’ll always protect you, and stay with you and battle your demons with you. You’re not alone Magnus, you’ll always have me.”

Magnus could pinpoint the exact second his heart broke, the exact second he felt it all crashing down around him. He would once again have to re-live the pain of loss and it was tearing him apart to shreds. He could feel the tears begin to form in his eyes, stinging to be let free and he just wrapped his arms around Alec. Needing to imprint this moment to last forever, to hug Alec one last time. The tears fell freely and straight onto Alec’s suit but if he minded, he didn’t show it.

He held Magnus for what felt like years but was probably only a minute or so before pulling back.

“Tha-thank you, Alexander.” Magnus chocked out as he tried to stop the tears.

Alec smiled and brushed Magnus tears away with his thumb as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Magnus’.

***

After changing into sweat pants and lose t-shirts before cuddling up in bed, Alec fell asleep rather quickly leaving Magnus alone with his dark, terrifying thoughts. He was clutching onto the Omamori charm for dear life and turned his head to check the time. 3:27a.m.

Alec had been asleep for almost 2 hours now and the whole time, Magnus was delaying the inevitable and trying to etch every bit of Alec into his memories. His scent, his features, his touch, his voice, his little eyebrow scar, his tattoos, his laugh.

Every, single, detail.

He got up from the bed and silently got the stethoscope and flash drives from his bag, making his way down the stairs to Robert’s office.

This whole evening, he knew this was going to happen but only now did it dwell on him. Like, _holy shit_ , he was about to steal evidence from the Captain of the NYPD who just so happened to be his boyfriends dad and the man who murdered his father.

He stepped inside the office and the first thing he noticed was the laptop that was sat in the middle of the desk.

_Great, so no need for a stethoscope after all._

Magnus walked over to the desk and with shaky hands, turned the laptop on. It loaded up almost instantly and took him less than a minute to hack the password. You would think something this important would have a better security system.

Sebastian had told him two case file numbers, courtesy of the mole. One was for his father’s file and the other for Sebastian’s boss. He knew the copying would take a while so decided to search the latter of the two first and found the file sooner than expected. When he opened it, he saw the mass of folders that were labelled by their contents: Overview; Victim Details; Images; Accomplices; Forensics; Autopsies and so on.

There weren’t that many folders but the images were taking up a lot of storage so he had to use about 4 flash drives to get it all. Out of curiosity, he opened the ‘Accomplices’ folder and was met with the profiles of a few people. The one at the top was of a man, bald and black eyes similarly like Sebastian’s. His name read ‘Valentine Morgenstern’ and it said he had 2 children –one in witness protection and the other deceased- and an ex wife, also in witness protection. Their names and locations were unknown. The other few images and names seemed to be people in the police force that were suspected to be siding with Valentine, who Magnus assumed was the ‘Boss’ that Sebastian had referred to many times. There was also the name Sebastian Verlac but no image attached and that was it for that folder.

Magnus decided to open the ‘Overview’ folder too; if he was stealing this evidence, he may as well know what this bastard had done, so he skimmed over the document picking out what he deemed important.

_Morgenstern first suspected in 2009-2010_

_Case file built up but evidence was stolen_

_Suspected for at least 50 murders, possibly more_

_Cause of death remains unknown- considering possibility of poison that has still yet to be identified_

_Presumed to be working on technological device that could cause global panic_

Okay, so he wasn’t a saint, Magnus knew that and he knew it was probably wrong to let this Valentine walk free. But his judgement was clouded by the thought of Robert shooting his father so without another second of hesitation; he deleted all the files except for the Accomplices one and added the name Hodge to it. Despite his motives, he was not about to let these supposed trustworthy people get away with this all, they deserved to be put behind bars too for betraying their duty as a member of the NYPD. He also wanted to protect Alec from Hodge specifically since Alec had clearly put a lot of trust in the unworthy renegade.

All the files were deleted and he then searched the code for what Sebastian told him would lead him to the file they had on his father’s death.

There was nothing there.

Magnus almost flipped the table and slammed the laptop screen but managed to hold himself back after thinking rationally. Okay, so there was no actual case, but Sebastian still had the video of Robert shooting Asmodeus and that was enough evidence, it’ll have do.

With that thought, he turned off the computer and made his way to exit the room but paused by the bookshelf.

If the laptop was on the desk, what was in the safe?

He quickly and quietly removed the books and placed them on the floor in a neat pile and then placed the stethoscope against the dial of the safe.

He took a deep breath and began turning the dial slowly, listening out for the click. It made it a lot easier that the whole house was silent and he managed to find the first number: 20.

He turned it again and listened intently, finding the second number: 12.

Magnus was just about to listen out for the third but was startled when a light flickered on outside in the hallway.

He froze for a moment, panic filling his body to the surface and his hands began to shake terribly. With quick thinking after the momentary brain malfunction, he managed to put some of the books back and took the rest with him under the desk, hiding without making a move.

Every breath he took was getting him all the more alarmed and terrified of being caught, what would happen? Would Robert kill him too? No, that was stupid. He wouldn’t kill him in the house right? He liked him, he didn’t suspect Magnus. He was nothing but nice since the day they met so it couldn’t be an act, could it?

_I can just say that I couldn’t sleep and Alexander had mentioned that you kept books in your office so I came to get one to read, that would wor-_

The light turned off, immersing the house in darkness once again.

Magnus released a shaky breath and stayed put for another 5 minutes to make sure no one was coming into the room. He walked back up to the bookshelf and contemplated whether he should continue, he only had one number left to find after all.

_Fuck it._

He placed the stethoscope against the same position after removing some of the books again and turned for the last digit, having an internal victory party as he heard the distinctive click of the cog.

Magnus opened the door to the safe and took a look inside. It was very confined but there was a small file.

He took it out and froze at the title: Asmodeus Bane.

Inside, there was a picture of his father smiling and sitting on a bench, he’d never seen it before but it still bought a tear to his eye. God he missed him.

There wasn’t much else apart from the autopsy that Sebastian had showed him along with a little envelope. He opened it with shaky hands and pulled out the two pieces of paper. The first one had a short handwritten paragraph:

_Asmodeus Bane, death by asphyxiation and GSW, December 2010_

And then it clicks, he was too hung up on getting the safe open that he didn’t even think of the significance of the combination. It was a date. 20.12.10. The date his father died. That was just sick; Robert was a sick and cruel man.

He shook his head in disgust and continued reading the words.

_Wife– Irene Bane, was informed of death on the date but died in car crash on way to NY from NJ December 2010_

_Only 1 child – Halley Bane, missing since September 2010 at age of 19, not yet found._

_No other noted family members._

Magnus chocked back his tears and went to read the other paper, which had only one word written by hand as a question.

_Magnus?_

Magnus was beyond confused. Why was his name with a question mark and why did they think that Halley was the only child? Did he not exist? This was too confusing...not to mention unhelpful.

He put the file back and closed the safe, placing the books in the correct order on the shelf and gathered the flash drives and stethoscope to go back to Alec’s room.

This was it. This was goodbye.

The adrenaline rush of being caught and just generally what he was doing had washed over now and he stood in Alec’s room for a couple of minutes. He really just did that. He stole evidence and that almost concludes the past month and couple of weeks work. It concludes his relationship with Alec.

Magnus thought back to the moment they met and everything since, how real it all was and how much it already hurt to even think about saying goodbye. But then he reminded himself that he didn’t get a chance to do that with his father, mother or sister so he shouldn’t waste this opportunity.

With that thought, Magnus collected his belongings and put on his shoes and coat before sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Alec’s hand in his.

His breathing was erratic and eyes burning with unshed tears.

He couldn’t form the apology that he so badly wanted to say, nothing would even come close to emphasise how sorry he was, so he just settled on what he’d been wanting to say for too long now.

“I love you, Alexander.” 

He placed one last kiss to Alec’s lips as a tear fell down his cheek and onto Alec’s, and then with weak knees, he got up and left the room, making his way down the stairs and out the front door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'( ... poor malec


	12. Exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus meets up with Sebastian after he took the evidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little shorter than usual but I hope you still like it! Same disclaimers as usual and *** means time jump.  
> Thank you guys for all your support and I'm sorry for the heartbreak from yesterdays chapter :(

**Magnus PV**

Magnus walked and walked further from the Lightwood house until he reached the subway station. He got a train directly to where Sebastian had said he’d be. It was as if his whole body was working on auto-pilot.

The whole time, he gripped onto the Omamori charm, not wanting to let it go...not wanting to let Alec go. But it was too late for that.

It was as if time stood still while simultaneously moving at the speed of light. He could still remember every detail about Alec, and every moment they’ve had together from that first night in Pandemonium but it all seemed like it happened years ago. Like if he stopped thinking about it, all the memories would disappear leaving only the aching pain in his heart reminding him of what he just lost.

Magnus knocked on the large steel door; he remembered entering this building for the first time as it was still fresh in his mind. That was when he accepted the deal, which he now realised, was the most stupid mistake of his life.

“Bane, well done.” Sebastian greeted with his smug grin.

“Let’s just get this exchange over with okay.” Magnus replied, not meeting Sebastian’s gaze as it’ll only remind him that this was real. This was actually happening.

Sebastian led the way to the same room from before and took a seat, gesturing for Magnus to do the same.

He declined.

This was already taking more time than he wanted it to take and sitting down would only make it feel longer.

“Here.” Magnus chucked the flash drives on the desk in front of Sebastian. “It’s all deleted and that’s the only copy.”

“Hmm, good.” Sebastian said as he locked his fingers together, resting them on the desk in an attempt to look authoritative however to Magnus, he just looked like the complete dickhead that he always was.

“Don’t think I didn’t catch on to the fact that you lied about there being a file on my father. I would be pissed, but quite frankly, you don’t even deserve that. Now give me the video and then we’re done.” Magnus said, surprisingly calm considering the rage and fury boiling inside of him.

“Don’t you want us to hand it over to the officials?”  Sebastian inquired, but he still opened a draw to take out a laptop and flash drive.

“No, I’ll deal with it myself.” Magnus declared and watched as Sebastian copied the video.

He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing. For starters, he didn’t even know who to trust with the video so that they could get Robert in jail. He also felt like he should be shouting at Sebastian for lying about the incentive he was given when it didn’t even exist, he felt even more played and stupid but he didn’t have it in him to be angry at someone else. Truly, at the end of the day, it was his fault. He got himself into this mess and that means it’s up to him to fix it to the best of abilities and until he does so, the only one to be angry at is himself.

Sebastian slid over the flash drive and Magnus put it in his pocket.

“You did good Bane, so Boss said to give you this.” Sebastian put a briefcase on the desk and flicked the clasps open and Magnus was faced with a wad load of cash. “750, as we said on the first day.”

Magnus shut the case and slid it back towards Sebastian.

“And as _I_ said on the first day, I don’t give a fuck about the money.”

Magnus turned on his heel heading for the door but paused as his hand touched the door knob.

“Whatever this operation is that you’re running, soon enough, you’re gonna get caught. You’ll run out of people to blackmail and fuck over and you won’t be able to fight what you deserve, no matter how rich you and dear Valentine are.”

He slammed the door shut behind him and fled out of the building as fast as he could, running to anywhere away from this shitty place, only stopping when he reached some dock near the Hudson River that he deemed far enough.

Panting and gasping for air, he sat down letting his feet dangle over the edge of the pier.

Magnus leaned back till he was flush with the wooden panels beneath him and looked up at the sky. The night was unbelievably cold and he was shivering but it felt good to feel something other than the burning pain and anger. Above him, he was faced with the expanse of sombre, murky clouds amidst the caliginous sky.   

There was an array of white specs among the abyss of darkness and minimal grey stretches that made up the magnificent night sky and ironically, it summarised Magnus’ life perfectly.

The past seven years have been darkness; the only tolerable patches were the ones that were grey instead of black. Then along came Alexander Lightwood. He was the myriad of burning white hot energy, and the closer you got, the more you burned. The more you perished. And now that Magnus had indeed burned, all that was left was the visible, yet unreachable traces of what once existed, what once had a future until Magnus fucked it up.

Now all that was left were his memories.

Magnus laid there and played out his whole story with Alec, not missing out a single detail. He tried to pinpoint the exact moment he knew he was in love with Alec, and then realised that maybe he was in love the whole time. Maybe, he knew all along that Alec was the one and would always be the one. There was no one but Alec that he was meant to love, no other purpose for him and that made this all the more insufferable.

And now he had evidence to incriminate and denounce his father, yet that all seemed significantly insignificant now. Was he that desperate for revenge that he’d throw away his happiness? Throw away his chance at belonging again?

Maybe he felt the need to avenge his father, but was that worth all of this? Would his father even want this from him? Asmodeus always said that Magnus’ happiness came first and foremost and Magnus knew that the only one to provide that now was Alec.

And if Alec was his happiness, his love, he should stop causing him pain.

Alec deserved so much more than that, and so what if Robert killed Asmodeus, that appeared like it didn’t even matter anymore. Robert was a good father, and Alec deserved that. He deserved to be loved and cherished and Magnus couldn’t take that away from Alec, he had no right to do that just because he was vengeful.

And so Magnus decided what he was going to do.

He got up, sent a text to Cat and threw his phone into the river. Magnus made his way to the nearest 24 hour store that he could find, asking for a pen and paper once there.

He poured his heart and soul out, letting the pen flow without any second thoughts as the words he was unable to say earlier formed onto the paper, his tears falling helplessly staining the crisp white sheet and smudging some of the ink.

Magnus bought an envelope, signed a name and thanked the employee as he left the shop to hail a cab.

It was 6:23 and considering the late night they all had, Magnus assumed no one would be up yet and gave the driver the address of the house he left a mere 2 hours ago.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the front door and fished out the letter and flash drive, sealing it in the envelope addressed to _Alexander_ and with trembling hands and watery eyes, he posted it through the letter box before getting back in the cab, directing it to anywhere out of this city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie see you all tomorrow my lovelies! Little teaser...it'll either be only Magnus' point of view after leaving the city or only Alec's point of view from the aftermath of Magnus leaving depending on my mood :)  
> Thank you all for reading! <3


	13. Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Every single nerve in his body ached for Alec, his heart ached for Alec.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okiee so this chapter includes something a little different. I had one set to post but then decided I wanted to try something else. I'll talk about it more in the end notes and sorry it's a short one again :(  
> Same disclaimers as usual and *** is a time jump.  
> Enjoy my lovelies!

“Can you just chop these spring onions Maggie?” Irene asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Magnus smiled taking the onions and began to chop them.

“It’s not strictly necessary for Paella, but I think it serves as a lovely garnish.” She said as she transferred the traditional Spanish dish into a serving bowl.

Magnus sprinkled the onions on top and they both grinned at each other, pleased with their team work.

They heard some more bickering voices and Irene sighed.

“Halley, Asmo! For the thousandth time, stop acting like 5 year olds and get your asses here!” Irene shouted up the stairs and less than 5 seconds later, a loud thudding was heard as the arguing pair descended the steps.

Both Magnus’ father and his sister sat at the table and glared at each other. Halley stuck her tongue out Asmodeus and did the same.

“Seriously, what is wrong with you two?” Irene asked as she bought out the dish of steaming Paella to the table, setting it in the centre.

“Dad embarrassed me!” Halley exclaimed, exasperated.

“I did not! I did you a favour!” He countered innocently.

“Saying, ‘Ah your name’s Romeo, you know my daughter played Juliet in the school’s play last year’ was bad enough, but then when he actually seemed interested, you had to go and say ‘fair warning though son, the guy who played Romeo had made it pretty clear to everyone she was a _terrible_ kisser, stating it as the play ended’. He’s never going to call me now!”

“Wait, what?” Magnus tried to hold back his chuckle but it left his lips anyway and Halley’s glare turned on him.

Turns out, they were at the supermarket earlier and there was some worker there called Romeo and his dad had mentioned Halley playing Juliet in a play for conversation purposes, but then this Romeo actually showed interest in Halley and since Halley was blushing, his dad assumed she didn’t want the attention and dropped some fake story about her being a bad kisser so he’d leave her alone.

Magnus and Irene were laughing hysterically and Asmodeus was trying and failing to not look amused about the whole ordeal.

“I’m sorry baby girl.” He apologised, managing to sound sincere despite his curling lips.

Halley paused for a moment, seeming to consider his apology before speaking with a hint of humour in her tone. “It’s okay, now that I think about it, his pick up lines were a bit cringe worthy and he looked like one of those Who things from Horton hears a Who.”

They all erupted into a fit of giggles and spoke about their days while devouring their dinner.

“I’ll help you clear up mom since Maggie helped with cooking.” Halley declared once they all finished.

“YES!” Asmodeus beamed and raised his arms in the air as a sign of victory, “can we go now?” he then asked, facing Irene as if he was a child asking for permission of something trivial such as eating candy. She tried to look irritated but the hint of a smile forming on her lips failed her and she nodded fondly.

Magnus and Asmodeus rose from their seats almost instantly and bolted out of the door to the car, driving straight to the latter’s cabin where he worked on the weekends.

***

“Son, I think this will be it! Months of work finally will pay off.” Asmodeus stated confidently after an hour or so of arriving at the cabin.

With as steady hands as possible, Magnus extracted the chip from the programmer using tweezers and placed it into the allocated compartment in the laptop’s hardware.

They both studied the screen, waiting slightly impatiently to see if they had succeeded.

Asmodeus weaved his fingers with Magnus’ as the screen loaded up with the ciphered data, numbers, symbols and letters flashing across the screen until suddenly, they began forming a fathomable paragraph.

Their gazes didn’t leave the screen, staring at it incredulously before slowly turning to face each other, eyes blown wide in shock and mouths agape in disbelief.

“Dad” Magnus said, though it was barely a whisper.

Asmodeus just pulled Magnus into his embrace, warm and loving and they both had blinding smiles on their faces.

“You realise we did it? This is huge son, I’m so proud of us Maggie!” He triumphed and patted Magnus’ back affectionately.

“Me too dad, me too.” Magnus responded, feeling just as giddy and proud at their accomplishment.

They had been working for months on a deciphering device in the form of a chip that could encrypt any coded data however each time, they had failed...up until now.

Magnus knew this was huge; the possibilities were endless and he thought about how one day when he’d be working with the police as a tech expert, he could use this chip that he and his father created.

They packed up and went home to share their achievement with Irene and Halley, both of whom had no interest in tech or gadgets like Magnus and his dad but had endured their complaining about failures for the better part of 4 months so would be over the moon to finally know they succeeded.

Barging into the front door, both the girls startled from their position on the couch.

“What’s with the shit eating grins guys?” Halley asked inquisitively, quirking an eyebrow.

“We did it.” Magnus and his dad both said at the same time.

Irene and Halley jumped to stand up and eyed them in bewilderment before their expressions changed to one of delight and glee. They ran up to the boys and pulled them into a bone crushing hug.

Family hugs were always one of Magnus’ favourite things.

“Does this mean we won’t have to listen to you guys whine about it not working? And I can save my murderous glares for better occasions?” Halley asked with a teasing hint after a moment.

They all scoffed at her and pulled back from the hug.

“Yes, it means no more whining and no more murderous glares –at least not until we start our next project anyway,” Asmodeus stated with a wink eliciting an eye roll from the girls and a high five from Magnus. “It also means that we celebrate, and I say Texas!”

“What?” Magnus, Irene and Halley perplexed.

“I said, Texas...tomorrow. I wanna take you guys to the NASA Space Centre, you guys have been dying to go for years now and it’s about time we went.” He grinned while looking at Halley and Magnus who were so shocked; they could barely process the words coming out of their father’s mouth.

Once she regained her composure, Halley squealed and jumped into Asmodeus’ arms, thanking him before dragging Magnus upstairs so they could pack, leaving their parents downstairs.

“Maggie! We’re going to the freaking Space Centre!” She exclaimed while shaking Magnus’ shoulders, who finally seemed to register the whole situation and squealed too.

They spent the rest of the evening packing and left for Texas the following late afternoon. Little did Magnus know, this trip would be the beginning of his path to losing his family.

**Magnus PV**

“Sir, excuse me?” A female voice said and Magnus blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the blinding light coming in from the windows. “This is the last stop for the bus.” She added with a kind smile and Magnus nodded as he got up and exited the bus, reading the sign that hung above him...

_Welcome to Houston, Texas_

Magnus sighed and walked out of the station, hailing a cab and giving the address of a hotel he remembered from his visit here with his family.

It had been almost 5 days since he had left Alec and he still felt like shit. In fact, he felt shittier than 5 days ago and he’d been running on about 10 hours sleep and a preposterous amount of sugary tea and coffee, which did not help in any way at all.

Every single nerve in his body ached for Alec, his heart ached for Alec.

Magnus knew that eventually, with time –and lots of it- the pain will become better, or at least endurable. Like a constant dull ache that sits at the pit of your stomach, or a scar, the memory still there but the hurt and anguish gone. However, with Alec, the thought of the loss being bearable seemed like a farfetched fantasy that would never exist.

Alec was like an open wound, one that would never heal, would always bleed and bleed.

He had absconded to New Jersey on that very day and since travelled from there to Texas, only stopping to change his form of transport, steering away from airports knowing the security is a lot more intense meaning he could be found.

He hadn’t particularly left on a good note with Sebastian. Admitting he knew Valentine was behind this all was a big, stupid mistake and that could give them some incentive to have him on their radar. Also, after giving the evidence to Alec, Robert would have most probably found out the truth and he could seek revenge too.

It would seem he was running from the possible threats of Sebastian and Robert when in reality, he was running from Alec. Running from the one thing that will be an eternal reminder of how much he fucked up, how much he threw away for this stupid, fucking deal. To see Alec angry at him, or tell him he hated him would truly break Magnus, and that was something his fragile soul and body could not be able handle. Hence, the only option was to get as far away from Alec as possible.

The constant running to increase the distance between him and Alec had taken his mind off of the actual reason he was running, and so when Magnus actually arrived in Texas knowing he’d be spending longer than a switch of bus or coach, it hit him like a tidal wave.

He fell onto the floor as soon as he shut the door to his hotel room, letting the tears that had had him in imminent danger to become a mess in public finally be free.

He had no Alec; he had no Cat, Ragnor or Raphael. He had no Chairman, no Jace, Isabelle, Clary or even Simon.

He had no one.

Magnus was completely, utterly, alone.

That though, wasn’t even the worst part. What put the cherry on top was that it was his fault. He had found another family, another place to be happy and this time, the blame of losing that fell on him and only him.

He tried not to think about what could have been had he not gone through with the deal. It was too painful and only managed to make his tears fall more heavily, but his mind wouldn’t shut up.

This was it, this was his life now and he had to suck it up and deal with it. Yeah, life was shit and it had its ways of making you want to just disappear but that was not an option right now, and as much as Magnus wanted to divert the pain from his heart to his body, he was still rational enough to know that that wasn’t the answer. So he got up, washed his face clean from the tear smudged make up and made his way down to the bar, after all, the best way to forget and not think was getting drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo let me know if you like the sort of flashback style. Personally I think it's cool because it shows Magnus' family dynamic and it was interesting to write. I'm thinking of continuing that in the next few chapters if it isn't a complete disaster in this one :) Thanks for reading! <3


	14. My Promise To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where are you Magnus? Where are you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know how I feel about this chapter, like I like it but I also don't. I'm torn. But anyway, some people asked for Alec's point of view so I hope I delivered! Thanks for all the comments and kudos and readers and all that lovely stuff!

**Alec PV**

Alec woke up to the sound of blaring sirens and loud voices. He rolled over in bed only to be met with emptiness.  

_Where’s Magnus?_

Alec hopped out of bed, moving towards the bathroom where he was once again met with emptiness. He searched his room and noticed Magnus’ bag was gone too.

The bickering got louder by the second and Alec was confused as to where Magnus was and why there were so many loud voices and police officers here until the wave of panic hit him.

Something happened to Magnus, something terrible and Alec had a gut wrenching feeling that he was gone...hurt.

He ran down the stairs to where the commotion seemed to be coming from and paused when he saw his father leaving his office, Hodge following closely behind.

“Dad? Where’s Magnus? Is he okay. What happened?” Alec asked, fighting back his tears at the thought of Magnus hurting himself.

“What do you mean son? Is he not upstairs?” Robert’s eyes widened as he saw the worry on Alec’s face.

“No! He’s not! Dad, he could have hurt himself, he could...he could be gone, be dea...” Alec trailed off as his tears began to fall and Robert immediately rushed to him, pulling him into a hug.

“It’s okay son, shh, we’ll find him. Don’t worry.” Robert assured as he rubbed Alec’s back in comfort.

“Uh, Robert?” Hodge interrupted and Robert pulled back, allowing Hodge to take him to the side to whisper something in private.

“What? Don’t be stupid Hodge. That’s ridiculous.” Robert exclaimed, appalled by whatever Hodge had said.

“It makes sense! Why else would he not be here?” Hodge countered, his angry and irritated expression plastered on his face.

“What’s going on dad? Why are all these police here?” Alec asked, only just registering that his home was currently infested with all the officers and since it wasn’t about Magnus, something else was going on.

“Uh, someone has stolen some evidence from us and since it can only be done from my laptop, we need the house checked for any break ins.” He explained.   

Alec processed the information along with what Hodge just said and it clicked. He glared at Hodge and spoke louder than he intended. “You think Magnus had something to do with this? Are you crazy! Why would he even do that?”

“Exactly, Magnus is a good young man and I will not tolerate such insinuations so you better shut that mouth of yours if you’re going to accuse him.” Robert sneered at Hodge.

“Right, sorry Boss.” He apologised and made his way downstairs.

“I can’t believe him dad.” Alec said once it was just the two of them.

“I know son, I know Magnus isn’t to blame. And don’t worry, we’ll find him. Have you called his phone?”

_Phone_

Alec ran up to his room without replying and dialled Magnus’ number, letting that faint glimmer of hope fill him however; it faded almost instantly as the robotic voice of a woman filled his ear.

He descended the stairs feeling utterly defeated and almost collapsed onto the floor until Robert caught him.

“Alec, we’ll find him. I’ll get the force on the lookout and put it as top priority okay? No one will rest until we find him.”

Alec nodded vacantly, all his thoughts drifting to the worst possible conclusions and the same constant question.

_Where are you Magnus? Where are you?_

“Guys, what’s going on?” A sleepy voice asked from behind them.

“Isabelle...just a work issue, don’t worry about it sweetheart.” Robert tried to assure her.

“Alec? What’s wrong?” She asked, noticing his tear stained cheeks and distressed look.

“Uh- it-Magnus is missi-“

“Boss!” A voice called from downstairs, stopping Alec from finishing.

A few seconds later, Dylan, one of Robert’s officers, rushed up the stairs with an envelope in hand. It looked dirty and crumpled.

“This was on the floor by the front door. I think we missed it when you opened the door in a rush to let us in and it got squished between the wall and the door.” He stated as he handed over the envelope to Robert.

Robert’s eyes widened and he look directly at Alec, holding out the envelope to him and Alec recognised the writing straight away...Magnus.

He was frozen. What did this mean? Magnus was okay? Why did he leave a letter? Why did he leave in the first place?

With trembling hands, Alec reached for the letter and heard Robert say something but didn’t pay much attention to it. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and turned to see Izzy with worry and confusion in her big brown eyes.

“Alec, you-are you going to read it?” She asked quietly.

“...Yea-yes. I-I need to-um...can-can you sit with me?” He stuttered, feeling the tears stream down his cheeks for the second time today.

She nodded and ushered him to sit on the steps of the stairs, taking a seat right next to him.

Alec’s hands were shaking uncontrollably, but he eventually managed to open the envelope revealing a flash drive and a letter that looked crinkled from droplets of water...rain possibly.

He unfolded it and began to read, the words blurred due to the water droplets and his tear filled eyes.

***

“Explain.” Alec said sternly, placing a laptop in front of his father and pressing play.

Robert watched intently and Alec studied every expression to the closest possible detail. The way his eyes widened as the screen was put in front of him, how he flinched when he saw the victim lying on the floor, how he shut his eyes as the gun was fired.

“Where did you get this?” Robert asked cautiously.

“Magnus left it for me...in the envelope with a letter.” Alec supplied. “Now, I’m not some detective like you –though I’m not really sure what you are right now- but I can still put two and two together. This is Magnus’ father. You killed him.” Alec stated coldly.

He was furious. He was hurt. He was scared...but he didn’t know why.

Robert’s eyes began to water and Alec would have started crying too if it wasn’t for all the overwhelming emotions he was feeling.

“Was he a criminal or something, is that why you killed him?” Alec asked at his father’s resounding silence.

“...No. Far from it actually. He-he was a good man.” Robert sniffled.

“Then why did you shoot him in the head?” Alec’s tone and expression was blank. He didn’t know which emotion to focus on and it was like a massive whirlwind or tornado had formed within him. He had never ever spoken to his father like this but knowing how hurt Magnus was when he told Alec about this, about his father dying, Alec couldn’t even look at Robert the same way.

But then should he even be defending Magnus after what he did?

When the thoughts became too much and the silence had gone on for too long, Alec repeated his question. “Then why, dad, did you shoot Magnus’ father in the head?”

“Because he begged me to.” Robert confessed.  

***

That night, Alec sat at in the living room of his house with his family along with Cat, Ragnor and Raphael with Chairman Meow curled up in his lap.

He felt as if this was all a horrible, terrible dream. How could something like this even be happening?

“What are we gonna do then?” Isabelle spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

Earlier in the afternoon after Alec confronted Robert and he got an explanation that he certainly wasn’t expecting. Everything was so fucked up and so bizarre that made this feel surreal, like some twisted movie plot or sick joke...which evidently it was according Valentine.

Alec was angry at him, angry at his father, angry at the whole situation, but most importantly, at Magnus. The only problem was that he didn’t know why he was angry.

“Well, I know I can’t talk to Hodge about any of this and neither can you. If Magnus actually met with them, then he knows who was involved and I can’t trust Hodge or anyone from the precinct. So this stays between us until we find Magnus, okay?” Robert said authoritatively.

There was a mumble of ‘yes’ and ‘yeah’ from everyone in the room. It seemed as if they were all shocked by the revelations and confessions too that no one could really process what the fuck was going on.

“You can all stay here for as long as you need to.” He added.

“I-I’m gonna go to bed.” Alec stammered and forced himself off the floor moving to climb the stairs with the letter and Chairman in his arms.

He collapsed onto his bed and began to cry for what felt like the millionth time today and almost didn’t hear the soft knock on the door.

Turning to face the intruder, he saw Cat with a small, sad smile on her face.

She walked towards him cautiously and sat on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly stroking Chairman Meow’s fur and Alec watched as the sad smile changed to one of nostalgia and fondness.

“You know, when we met in the centre after his father and mother...past away, he wouldn’t talk to anyone. Ragnor, Raph and I had already been there for a week or so and we saw this incredibly good looking boy join our group session. He looked so sad and lost and it broke our hearts so we managed to ask one of the nurses who totally had a soft spot for us, why he was here. She didn’t know much but just said he had an eating disorder and self harm issues, and he tried to...you know, take away the pain forever. One day after the session, we had enough of seeing him so sad so we dragged him to the nurse and she took us to this room that they had in the centre where every so often, the local pet store would bring over kittens or puppies. One kitten wouldn’t leave Magnus’ side and after that, we saw him smile for the first time. We all ended up talking all night long till we were called to breakfast and since then; we’ve never left each other’s side. As soon as we were discharged, he got Chairman. This little guy has been with us ever since.” She chuckled a little sadly before adding, “So naturally, his last text to me would be ‘ _take care of my baby Chairman’”_

Alec didn’t know what to say. It’s not that he was speechless; he just didn’t know how to respond to that story, that memory. He didn’t know how to feel. Everything was so overwhelming and it felt like time was moving too quick. Just last night, he had been with Magnus, had told him he’d protect him no matter what, battle his demons with him...and then Magnus still left?

“He loves you.” She said after a few minutes.

“Then why did he leave?” Alec asked, trying to sound less hurt by it.

“He’s scared. He’s lost so many people and the thought of losing you must have made him run. He probably couldn’t bear to see you angry at him for what he did...are you angry at him?”

“I don’t know” Alec replied, because he truly didn’t know.

“What do you feel?” She inquired.

“I feel angry, but I don’t know what at. I feel hurt, but I don’t know why. I feel scared, but I don’t know what for. I feel...I don’t even, broken? Like I don’t even know what feelings are anymore because there’s too many of them and no reasons behind them. I mean, he just, he just...”

“Take your time sweetie, its okay.” Cat took one of Alec’s hands and gave it a little squeeze along with a reassuring smile.

“He made me feel so...loved. I’ve never been with anyone like him before and I’ve never felt what I felt for him before, I don’t think I could be with anyone else apart from him but I don’t know how to be _with_ him either. He used me, and, I get it, I know if I lost my family and then found out my father had been murdered, I’d want revenge too so I get why he did it. I just, I don’t know, I’m still angry at him for using me like that, for-for making me feel what I felt-or still feel for him, and I feel really inconsiderate and selfish because I’m angry about it.”

“I don’t blame you, but I don’t blame him either. You have every right to feel angry Alec, there’s no sugar coating it, he did use you and it’s gotta hurt, especially if you liked him. But, you know it wasn’t easy for him either. That first night you met in Pandemonium, he kissed you but he didn’t know who you were, that connection was real, it wasn’t fake. Yeah, after you told him your name, he asked you out because he needed you to trust him, but even if this deal wasn’t going on; he would have still asked you out. What he felt for you that night was real, and it’s been tearing him apart that he’s been hurting and lying to you. It tore him apart because he loves you, and he hated what he was doing.”

Once again, Alec didn’t know what to say so he let the silence surround them.

There were still so many unanswered questions, so many missing pieces to this complicated puzzle.

“Do you think he’ll ever come back?” Alec asked, barely a whisper.

“I hope so, Maggie is my brother and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him...if we lost him.”

Alec nodded, in lieu of a response.

“Magnus is tougher than he looks, he’ll be okay. Get some rest sweetie.” She said as she kissed Alec’s forehead and left the room.

Alec wanted to believe her, he really did. He knew Magnus was strong. No one can endure that much pain and still be standing on their two feet if they weren’t strong...but Magnus was out there, alone and hurt, and that could drive anyone into their deepest, darkest thoughts.

Chairman scooted back onto Alec’s lap and he picked up the letter again, re-reading the words...

 

_Dear Alexander,_

_There are no words that will enunciate how sorry I am. I will never forgive myself for this, but I need you to know the truth._

_As much as I hate to admit it, there was a reason that I started our relationship. I had to get close to you to steal something from your father that I could exchange for my own personal vendetta. I used you, Alexander and I hate myself for doing that._

_In my time getting to know you, you made me happy again even after losing my family, you gave me a sense of belonging and I will be endlessly grateful to you for that. You also made me doubt betraying you and your father (despite what he’s done) and I was constantly at a conflict between what I wanted to do and what I had to do. In the end, I did what I had to do._

_I’m so sorry that I abused yours and your family’s trust, you all have been nothing but kind to me and you don’t deserve this, but if I did what I wanted to do, I would have been lying to you._

_I couldn’t keep lying to you Alexander; I couldn’t keep hurting you because it was killing me and you deserve someone who could be honest with you._

_Now that I have what I had thought was so important a few weeks ago, I realise it isn’t important at all. I realise that I threw away so much for this thing and it seems so insignificant now. You were the only thing that was important to me Alexander._

_I trust you implicitly and I know you’ll do whatever you feel is right after this, something that I couldn’t do because I was so blinded by my need for closure that I failed to see how much life could still give me with you in it, how much I could still learn to love._

_Robert is a good person, I know it may look like he isn’t after you watch this but I can tell that he loves you and will always protect you so please don’t hate him after this. I know I should hate him but even I can’t bring myself to do that after getting to know him. Please tell Robert that I’m sorry that I did this to him, to you and that though neither I nor my opinion matter, I forgive him._

_I’ve only done the wrong thing up until this point, so that’s why I’m giving you the evidence and I’m going as far away as possible from you so I can’t hurt you anymore. I’m poison, and I know what I’ve done will cause so much pain for you and your family and even the city considering who I made this deal with. I wasn’t aware of the bigger picture and my stupidity will most probably cause a lot more trouble, pain and work for everyone, including your father and I know how big of a mistake I’ve made now, that’s why I need to go._

_I also can’t bear to see you hate me Alexander, you were the best thing to ever happen to me and I’ll never forget you, so in my selfishness, I’m running. I know I should be incriminated for what I did but the thought of seeing you hate me or despise me will break me and I’m too scared to face what I know I deserve for my mistakes._

_I want you to know that I didn’t enter your life with the right intentions and that will always be my biggest regret, but everything after that was real. My feelings for you were real._

_I don’t expect you to forgive me but I really am sorry for everything that I’ve done._

_I love you Alexander, I always have and I always will. You’ll always have my heart and I’ll love you unconditionally and eternally._

_Magnus Bane_

 

It suddenly felt as if Alec had read the letter for the first time, understood it for the first time. There were so many little details he hadn’t noticed before, like the water drops that were tears. Magnus was crying when he wrote this and Alec’s heart clenched at the thought of Magnus crying. He hated it. Magnus said he loved Alec, something that Alec was so sure he couldn’t say to Magnus because the feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.

After all that Magnus had done, he wouldn’t lie about any of this and it hit Alec like a brick wall.

It didn’t matter what Magnus did.

He was angry, yes...but only at himself because Magnus felt like he couldn’t confide in Alec and Alec hated that he ever made Magnus feel or think that way.

He was hurt, yes...but only because he didn’t have Magnus, because Magnus left him.

And he was scared, because Magnus was out there and he could be driven to do something to harm himself,  believing that Alec hated him, that Alec despised him when in fact, he couldn’t be more wrong.

Alec folded the letter back up and placed it under his pillow before dropping his head there. He switched off the lamp and fell asleep as he made a silent vow.

_Last night I made a promise to you Magnus and I intend to keep that promise, because I love you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing you have questions right? All shall be revealed soon so sit tight! <3


	15. Hell on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Just take the pain away, Magnus. You know what to do.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the tags as they've been updated for this chapter. 
> 
> I'm sorry for the chapters being shorter lately and only one sided but I sort of like the effect if gives since Magnus and Alec are apart right now. I'll go back to both PV within the same chapter when they're reunited.  
> Thank you for reading! :)

**Magnus PV**

_Halley? Halley! Where are you?_

Magnus eyes moved under closed eyelids as images of his sister appeared in his mind. The fear of when he couldn’t find her taking over him.

_I’m sorry Halley_

_It’s my fault...I shouldn’t have left you..._

_Halley! Where are you?_

Magnus tossed and turned before bolting upright and observing his surroundings. He was in his hotel room, empty glass bottles around him and a pocket knife stained with dried blood. He looked down at his wrists and there were several fresh cuts, two of which still had blood seeping out slowly.

With a groan, Magnus rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom, his face was pale and eyes bloodshot, hair a mess and make up smudged.

He was slipping away. But what else was he to do? There was no way to be happy without Alec.

Magnus stripped himself from his clothes and got into the shower, letting the hot water run down his tired and aching body.

This was by far one of the worst things to be doing right now. The last time he’d been with Alec, it was in the shower, and Alec left his mark on Magnus. Magnus could still remember his touches, his scent, his taste and it was driving him to the brink of insanity so he jumped out of the shower after a minute at the most of being in there.

He was thinking of Alec and that meant he was too sober.

Magnus threw on a clean pair of boxers, some clothes then slipped on his shoes before grabbing his jacket, wallet and key card, rushing out the hotel room to the nearest bar.

He found some random establishment on the corner of some dodgy street and took a seat. The bartender smiled at him before asking, “What can I get you?”

“Uh, Whiskey, double please.”

“Coming right up honey” she winked.

She slid the glass over and Magnus downed it in one gulp, relishing in the burn that it gave. He gestured for another and repeated the motion, giving into the light buzz to stop him from thinking of Alec.

“Uh, excuse me?” He called out after his third glass. She looked up at him indicating for him to go on. “What time is it?”

She checked her watch and read out the time, “Almost midnight.”

“Thanks...uh, what day?”

She raised an eyebrow but answered anyway, “15th December”

_...15 th December_

A whole month without Alec. A whole month since he left him.

It felt as if time had slipped from his fingers, he barely remembered what he’d done in the past four weeks except that it contained a lot of alcohol and most likely multiple blackouts.

How long would he have to go on like this? How long till he can stay sober without crying, without wanting to be gone?

“Are you okay there honey?” She asked after seeing Magnus disappear into his thoughts.

Magnus looked up to meet her concerned gaze and gave a nod that even he knew wasn’t convincing.

“Where are you staying? My shift ends in 10 minutes and I think you should go home, I can drop you off. You don’t look so good.” She worried.

“I’m fine, than-thanks” Magnus slurred.

He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, deep down he was aware that she was just trying to help. But that wouldn’t fix anything. He’d still be left feeling empty, alone, lost. It was as if he was just a body waiting to die now, going day by day not caring about anything anymore, just slowly withering away till he no longer existed.

That’s what he needed...to not exist.

***

Magnus blinked his eyes open, feeling warm and sticky, he was covered in sweat. There was a strong arm draped over his waist and a chest pressed against his back.

“Alexander” Magnus murmured.

He felt the sensation of kisses and assertive biting on the nape of his neck, trailing further down and then the strong arms turned him so he was on his back. Magnus closed his eyes shut as he felt the kisses moving below his waist line and the feel of a hot, wet tongue on his morning wood.

He let out a low moan and the kisses ascended above him, up his chest, neck and jaw before they met his lips and in that instant, his mind woke up.

_Those aren’t Alexander’s lips. This isn’t Alexander._

With as much force as he could muster, he pushed the man off him and jumped out of bed, searching for something to cover himself. He wasn’t ashamed of his body in anyway but the idea of someone else other than Alec touching him, being with him...being inside of him, that was not going to happen.

“What the fuck.” The man sneered.

“How did I get here?” Magnus asked coldly.

“You fucking met me at the bar yesterday and I bought you here, you passed out before we even fucked.” He explained angrily.

“I-I don’t...I” Magnus stuttered. He left with someone? He was naked with this man...what had he done?

Before he could even register what was going on, the man surged forward and pushed him onto the bed with brute force.

“I didn’t get to fuck that tight, perky ass yesterday and I’ll be dammed if I let you go before I get a piece of you.” He stated obnoxiously and Magnus looked up at him in utter shock and disgust.

He struggled to push the man off him as he attacked his lips aggressively and Magnus felt a finger circle his entrance before it pushed in.

Magnus reached for something...anything to get this man off him...out of him. His hands rested on what felt like the base of a lamp and he smashed it over the intruders head without a second thought.

He flopped down on top of Magnus and Magnus squirmed, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall any second.

He wiggled out from under the man and dressed in whatever clothes he could find of his before rushing out of the room. He had no idea where he was and he felt undisputedly violated, he felt terrified.

Magnus felt like he just cheated on Alec but having that man anywhere near him. But, Alec wasn’t his, how could he cheat on someone that wasn’t his?

Magnus fled out of the front doors to what seemed like an apartment complex and raced down the road, anywhere away from this place.

Soon enough, he found himself nearing the same bar that he was in yesterday and crashed into someone.

It was the bartender.

“Magnus?” She asked.

“Huh? Yeah, how do you know my name?” He questioned, not remembering mentioning it the evening prior, but then again he didn’t remember a lot of things.

“You told me yesterday honey; we were in the bar remember? Are you okay, what happened to you?” Her brows furrowed in concern as she looked him over.

“I-I don’t know what I...I can’t be here. I don’t know what I’m doing.” He confessed, not sure why he was trusting this stranger but he felt oddly safe in her presence.

“Okay, Magnus, let’s get you out of here okay.” She said and took Magnus’ hand, leading him down the road and to some fancy building a few blocks away from the bar.

Once inside, he observed the home. The floors were wooden and there was a staircase on the right, living room on the left and what appeared to be the kitchen straight in front.

She ushered him upstairs and led him to the bathroom.

“Get yourself cleaned and I’ll leave some clothes for you. I’ll go make some food okay?”

Magnus nodded and watched as she shut the door.

He stepped into the shower after removing his clothes and tried to not think about everything too much but the water felt like it wasn’t washing away the shame and disgust his skin carried. That man touched him, kissed him. Magnus felt filthy. He didn’t know he could hate himself more after what he did to Alec but he was wrong...this felt like he was hurting Alec and he didn’t even know why.

Magnus didn’t even realise the tears that were streaming down his face but he wasn’t surprised by them. They hadn’t stopped, it was like a constant stream would be burning his eyes and the only relief was drinking the sorrow away...drinking himself away.

Once he was finished, he dressed himself in the sweat pants and t shirt that had been left for him and descended the stairs towards the smell of waffles.

“Uhm, thank you, for the shower...and-yeah.” Magnus said and gestured to himself once he entered the kitchen.

“It’s okay, honestly. You don’t have to thank me. I’m presuming you can’t remember my name right?” She asked and Magnus nodded, slightly embarrassed. “I’m Tessa, Tessa Gray.” She greeted and held out her hand.

Magnus shook it and sat down on one of the seats by the counter as she slid over the plate of waffles and fruit.

Magnus picked up his fork and played around with the food, not feeling hungry. He didn’t even remember that last time he ate. Could have been days or even weeks ago.

“You have to eat something sweetie.” She said kindly.  

“I’m not hungry.” Magnus responded flatly.

“Magnus, you have to have something. No offense, but you really don’t look good and you can’t just keep drinking.” She repeated a bit more sternly now.

This woman –Tessa – was being very hospitable and suddenly Magnus felt bad to refuse anything, or come across as rude, so he took a tentative bite and gave a small smile even though any food tasted like acid to him.

“I totally get if you don’t want to talk about it, but you left last night, with someone, did he...did something happen? We should go to the police if, you know.” Tessa asked cautiously.

Magnus shook his head, partly to answer but also to try and shake the memory and feeling of that man and what he did, what he attempted to do. “No, I uh, I hit him with a lamp before it escalated. I don’t-I don’t remember leaving with him...I didn’t want to leave with him.” Magnus got quieter and quieter as he spoke, feeling so ashamed.

“Because of Alexander?”  She added a little hesitantly and Magnus’s gaze shot up to meet her grey eyes.

“Ho-how do you...” Magnus trailed off.

“You spoke about him yesterday.”

There was a small sympathetic smile on her face and it made Magnus feel sick to the stomach. He didn’t deserve pity, he didn’t deserve Alec. He had no right to be hurt over him.

“What did I say?”

“Not much, just that you loved him a lot and he made you really happy but you did something terrible and you ran away. Oh, and you showed me that red charm thing, I forgot what you called it.”

Magnus’ eyes blew wide open, _the charm._

He rushed upstairs to where his clothes were and dug inside the pockets to try and find the charm.

It wasn’t there.

“No no no no no no no” Magnus sobbed and fell to the floor of the tiled bathroom in defeat.

 He felt arms wrap around him and soft fingers brush though his damp hair.

“It’s okay Magnus, let it out.” Tessa soothed, and so Magnus did.

He accepted the comfort and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, crying and crying for what felt like hours.

***

That evening, after he’d cried enough to fill an ocean, Tessa had put on a movie and made dinner. He barely touched his food but ate a little to reassure her. 

It felt weird to be with a complete stranger, but yet it felt like he’s known her his whole life. She was so kind and caring and Magnus didn’t know what he would have done had he not bumped into her.

He forgot what it felt like to have someone, anyone, actually care. It had been four weeks and that felt like an eternity, especially when he got a glimpse of what life was like with Alec.

This was the first night since he arrived in Texas that he can remember fully; it was also the first night he’s been sober.

Maybe he just needed someone, someone to comfort him and tell him it was gonna be okay. That he’d get through this. Or maybe he just needed a distraction, which Tessa now was in replacement for the alcohol that he had sworn by less than 24 hours ago.

Was this part of the healing process?

Somewhere in the room, a phone buzzed and Tessa got up to check, sighing once she read it.

“I gotta head to the bar, it won’t be long, 15 minutes max. Will you be okay?”

“Yeah, I will.” Magnus replied, surprising himself with the honesty in his voice.

She smiled and patted his cheek before getting her coat and keys, leaving Magnus alone in the home.

He was exhausted, but too scared to fall asleep. Ever since he’d left New York, his nightmares had returned. He used to get them after his parents died, after Halley went missing and now it was all resurfacing making sleep a whole lot less peaceful and healing and more like hell on Earth.

Magnus forced his eyes to stay open and pay attention to the film that he didn’t even remember the name of, but his thoughts were too loud, too crazy.

_Just take the pain away, Magnus. You know what to do._

Magnus shoved off the blanket and strode into the bathroom. He rummaged through the cupboard and found a razor blade, one that was usually for men but he didn’t pay much attention and just slashed into his thighs, knowing that Tessa would see if it were his wrists.

It stung, it burned, it bled. But it was better than feeling what was in his heart and mind. It was better than the ache that was a constant residence in Magnus’ heart.

He washed off the blade and snuck it into his clothing that was in the guest room before going back to the couch and wrapping himself up in the blanket. He continued to vacantly watch the movie as the burning pain from the cuts coursed through him and eventually he fell asleep, letting the dreadful nightmares and dark thoughts take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that wasn't too much and I'm sorry if any of it upset anyone. <3 <3


	16. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's on the lookout for Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Alec's side of the storm! I don't have much to say but I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little longer compared to the last few :) Same disclaimers as usual and *** is a time jump.  
> Also, I haven't had the time to proof read so sorry for any mistakes.

**Alec PV**

They say time heals everything. That you just have to be patient and wait it out, be strong and fight and with time, you’ll become okay again. You’ll learn to be happy and live again.

But Magnus? No. There was no way in hell that time would heal this pain that Alec felt. Heal this heartbreak. Heal this constant fear that something bad was going to happen.

Until Magnus returns to him, Alec will not heal. He will not be okay no matter how many days, weeks or years pass. And he will not give up looking.

“Still nothing, son. I’m sorry.” Robert said as he returned home from the precinct.

It had been almost two weeks of searching for Magnus, a fight to bring him home to where he belonged.

Robert had a BOLO out for him and had searched the databases for ‘Magnus Bane’ since that was his birth name, but no luck. It’s like he didn’t even exist...no wonder why Robert couldn’t find anything on him before when Asmodeus died.

There was nothing on Magnus Edom either so they had no leads whatsoever, and it was killing Alec.

The worst part was that Robert had all US precincts on high alert for a John Doe with a description of Magnus.

He assured Alec it was ‘just to be sure’, but there was no way, absolutely no way that Alec would believe Magnus was gone no matter how many doubts there were. He couldn’t be. He was out there; Alec just needed to find him.

“I’ll be going for another look out after dinner; you can come with me if you want.” Robert offered as he moved towards the kitchen.

Alec absentmindedly hummed in agreement and made his way upstairs to his room.

Since the day Magnus left, Alec, Izzy and Jace all moved back into their childhood home. Clary, Simon, Raphael, Ragnor and Cat had all been here too. They were all doing everything they could to find Magnus...but it clearly wasn’t enough.

He sat on the bean bag in his room and Chairman curled up into his lap. Alec stroked behind his ears, letting the soft purr comfort him.

“I wish he was here.” Alec spoke aloud.

“When he comes back, I’m gonna spend every day showing him how much I love him, how much we all love him. There won’t be one day where he’ll doubt it. He just has to come home.”

Alec closed his eyes and pictured Magnus, his laugh, his smile, his beauty, his essence, his everything.

“Please, baby, come home to me. Please.” Alec pleaded aloud as a tear fell down his cheek.

There was a soft knock on the door and Alec quickly wiped his tears before mumbling a faint “come in”

“Hello big brother.” Izzy greeted and smiled.

She plopped down next to Alec and began to run her fingers through Chairman’s soft fur.

“We got another one in today.” She said regrettably.

“Same COD?” Alec asked flatly, staring at a spot on the floor.

Izzy just hummed and gave a little nod.

Ever since Magnus had left, the amount of victims that fell under the suspicion of Valentine had increased and the supposed drug was still not identified.

Over the two weeks, Izzy had done almost 20 autopsies of prostitutes, junkies and innocent casualties too that all seemed to be connected by their cause of death.

After Robert had explained the death of Asmodeus, he realised that Valentine was still behind all this and had used the death of Magnus’ father against Magnus by blackmailing him into stealing evidence so Valentine could be clear again.

Now, the NYPD were back to square one with Valentine’s case and the FBI had even interfered. They only thing they had was the list of accomplices that Magnus had left, after adding Hodge to the list.

Hodge had been here that morning and had seen his name on the list, but Robert decided to not conduct an expulsion since that would only get Valentine aggravated and possibly give him incentive to go after Magnus. Also, as much as Robert had faith in Magnus and believed that Hodge was working with Valentine, there was no real evidence so nothing could be done at the time being and that was a real kick to the balls.

To have to still act friendly with Hodge was a difficult job and Alec just wanted to strangle him for being part of this whole thing. For being part of the reason Magnus had left, had been hurt and was now in danger.

Alongside all that, Alec couldn’t concentrate. He’d just passed the Bar, he was a lawyer and should be working with Lydia but he couldn’t. Lydia, being the angel she is had given Alec time off and said that he could go back whenever once they sorted this out and found Magnus, so now his days were spent at the precinct to look for Magnus, on the streets to look for Magnus or at home, thinking about Magnus.

He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t breathe without him.

He hated the thoughts that would threaten to take over at night when he was feeling at his lowest. The thoughts of Magnus being gone...for good. It tore him apart and he hated that his brain even made him think that.

“Do you think it’s stupid that I believe we’ll find him? That he’ll come home?” Alec blurted out in a moment of weakness before he could stop himself.

Isabelle glanced at him and took his hand in hers, giving it a tight squeeze.

“No. It doesn’t look promising and everyone has their doubts, but the faith that _you_ have, Alec, overcomes that doubt. The faith that you have in your love for him, and his love for you, it will bring you back together. Don’t lose your faith, Alec.”

He just had to keep holding onto that faith, that Magnus will find his way back, that he’ll be okay and he’ll come home. He had to come home.

***

Later that evening, after everyone ate dinner while Alec absently toyed with his fork only having a few bites, both he and Robert set out in the squad car to carry on their search.

“Has there been anything from the airports?” Alec asked after they’d passed another window shop with a ‘Missing’ poster for Magnus.

“Nothing yet”

“What about the Cab service?”

“It takes time son, they have a lot of drivers and even more passengers, but we’re getting through to them and should expect a call soon.” Robert said calmly. “We’ll find him, Alec. Don’t worry.”

He knew his dad was just trying to reassure him and make him less agitated, but it wasn’t helping. Everyone kept saying “we’ll find him” and it was doing nothing. There was no progress. There were no leads.

The shrill of a ringing phone startled Alec and he hurriedly reached for it, pressing accept upon seeing the caller ID.

“Mom, is everything okay?” Alec asked.

“Put me on speaker, Alec.”

Alec obliged and held the phone out in front of him so both he and Robert could hear.

“Alec, a letter was delivered to you just now, we haven’t touched it but the address isn’t on it and it was the postman who delivered so my guess is it’s not an average letter.”

Alec stopped breathing for a moment, no inhales or a exhales...was it from Magnus?

“Open it” Alec ordered before Robert could say anything.

“Maryse,” Robert interjected, “put some latex gloves on. They’re in my office.”

A minute or so later, she returned to the phone and opened the letter.

“Okay, it says ‘Dear Alec. It has come to our attention that your little crush Magnus Bane has fled the country and you’re daddy is looking for him! We know where he is and we can tell you but only if you deliver us Asmodeus Bane’s laptop. It seems your dearest father has kept it all these years, he always had a soft spot for the bastard and now you both have grown fond of his little fag of a son, haven’t you?...’ well that’s just disrespectful, he could have at least got his sexuality right, son of a bitch.”

“Maryse, continue please.” Robert said.

“Right, sorry, so yeah, ‘Anyway, deliver us the laptop and we’ll tell you where he’s run off to.  We sent you a package too; call the number on it to confirm the deal. We’ll give you 24 hours to decide. Yours truly, Valentine’ and the dick has put kisses too.”

Alec was speechless; he didn’t know what to say. What was he supposed to say?

“Sweetheart, put it back in the envelope and meet us at the precinct with the letter in an evidence bag. They’re in the second draw on the far right filing cabinet.  I need a description of the postman so you’ll have to talk to the sketch art-“

“I got his name.” Maryse interrupted Robert.

“Excellent. Get to the station as quick as you can, see you soon.”

“Okay, by honey. We’ll get him back Alec, don’t worry sweetie.” Maryse said before she hung up.

Alec still held the phone out before him, he was frozen.

“Alec, son?” Robert asked, worry in his voice. “Alec” Robert shook Alec’s shoulder with one hand, the other fixed to the wheel.

“Are they going to hurt him?” Alec asked, barely a whisper.

“No, they need him alive to get the laptop, they won’t hurt him.”

“Then give them the laptop! This is Magnus we’re talking about dad! That laptop is locked anyway, it’s not like they can get to it! Hand it over and we can get Magnus back!” Alec erupted, all the fear and worry instantly turning into anger that ignited a fire of rage inside of him.

“Alec, we can’t do that. This is Valentine, he’s not trustworthy, we don’t know what’s on that laptop and we can’t take his word.”

“I don’t give a fuck dad! I can’t lose Magnus, I can’t lose him. Please, please dad.” Alec argued, tears forming in his eyes.

They had an answer right there, hand over the laptop and get Magnus back, what else mattered? Why was Robert chasing up some postman lead when they only had 24 hours? What happened after the 24 hours?

“Alec, you’re not thinking clearly. This will sound harsh but you need to hear it. Valentine is a criminal, a murderer and the boss of multiple cartels running through this city...heck, this country. You can’t trust him. You know that whatever is on that laptop, it’s gotta be important with the amount of security on it and you know that the only person able to get into it is Magnus, Asmodeus said so himself. If they get the laptop _and_ they know where Magnus is, they could blackmail him again to getting whatever is on there. They might not even give him back to us. I get that you want Magnus back, trust me, I do too. That boy is like a son to me, he’s family, but giving in to Valentine’s trap is not the way to do it.” Robert explained sternly.

_Fuck_

He was right. Even Magnus said so himself in his letter that making the deal was a big mistake and here Alec was considering doing the same. No. They do this the right way. And they’ll get him back.

Alec cursed under his breath and exhaled deeply before speaking. “Okay, so, we interview this postman. Find out where he got the letter from. Run Forensics on the letter. Then what?”

“Then we use him to find Magnus, Alec. This is the first time Valentine has contacted any one of us, ever, we have a solid lead. Use the postman to get to Valentine and Valentine to get to Magnus.”

Alec nodded and let that little spark, that glimmer of hope in him grow brighter.

***

Maryse was already at the station when Robert and Alec arrived there and within 45 minutes, they had the postman in for questioning. Since it was late, forensics for the envelope had to wait until tomorrow but this was still a start.

The postman’s credentials checked out and Alec observed from the two way mirror as Robert questioned him. It was against protocol but this was important to Alec, Magnus was important to Alec, and he was not about to sit on the side lines.

They learned that he was approached by a woman who paid him a measurable sum of money to deliver this particular letter. Since the parcel actually went through the postal service, it was only the letter that she asked delivery for and so he accepted the money as he felt fairly certain that there was nothing harmful in a letter.

He described the woman to the sketch artist and now they had a connection to Valentine.

“Valentine would know that we would get his name and question him, right?” Alec asked after his father came into the observation room.

“I presume so, unless he just thought that you’d take the deal because you wanted Magnus back.” Robert replied as he took a seat.

“Then why would he do it? I mean now we have a lead and I hate to say it, but it seems pretty easy, don’t you think? That woman is now a suspect and she obviously works for him so why would he throw her under the bus like that? Surely it’d risk his confidentiality and compromise his need to be discreet and hidden.”  Alec explained. It didn’t make sense.

Before Robert could answer, his phone rang.

“Lightwood.” He answered.

“Can he come in tomorrow morning at 08:00?”

“Great, thank you Mr Fisher. Goodnight.” He ended the call.

“Who’s that?” Alec questioned.

Robert smiled and Alec’s heart raced. “That was Mr Fisher, the director of the Cab service here. One of his drivers recognised Magnus and they’ll be in tomorrow morning.”

_We’re gonna find him._

Alec couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips. That night, he had the slightest bit of ease as he slept, knowing that they were closer that they have been in weeks to getting Magnus home.

***

The following morning, they ran the drawing through the data base and found the woman who was called Camille Belcourt. That was all there was on her though and so it was another dead end, however they still had the cab service which later proved to be a solid lead.

The driver had said he picked Magnus up from a shop somewhere near the Hudson River and drove him to the Lightwood house, then straight to a New Jersey coach service. The shopkeeper had said he asked for paper and a pen and bought an envelope and that was all, so Robert contacted the coach service and they spoke to the drivers who left were on call around the time Magnus left. After a couple of days, they found the driver and he said Magnus got off at the end of the stop which was Pittsburgh.

It took the next two weeks to track Magnus steps which went through the majority of the Eastern/Mid-Eastern states and their dead end was Louisiana.

Alec arrived home that day feeling the worst he has in the past two weeks. He felt so close to finding Magnus and allowed himself to have hope. Allowed himself to let his faith that Magnus would be okay and would return to give him that hope, and then it all just disappeared with one phone call. That was why hope was dangerous, this actually felt worse than before when he had no leads, because he knew for sure that Magnus was alive and somewhere in the states but had no idea how to get to him...how to find him.

What made this whole thing shittier was Valentine, he kept on managing to post letters and each one came with a stronger threat. They started by threatening Magnus’ life, but Robert had assured Alec that they wouldn’t hurt him because they needed him to get into the laptop so Alec felt a little relieved, if only the slightest by that fact. Then they threatened Max, so Robert had hired a bodyguard for him. As much as this sucked, Robert said that this was the most they had an insight to in this case since 2010 when all files were deleted...stolen actually. Valentine was making regular contact and he was threatening a Max, the son of the Captain of NYPD. That was progress to getting evidence back which meant those who weren’t working on looking for Magnus, were looking on getting to Valentine.

Since Alec hadn’t accepted the offer, Valentine was clearly pissed; it didn’t take a detective to figure that out. Since threatening Magnus hadn’t provoked Alec, Robert assumed they would know that Alec knew they wouldn’t hurt Magnus and so Valentine hadn’t mentioned him since. He was an asset. It made Alec relieved but also anxious. Just because they weren’t going to kill him didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt him...torture him.

He still hadn’t been sleeping all that well. It was better than when they had nothing but it still wasn’t perfect. It wouldn’t be perfect until Magnus was back, safe in his arms.

Alec entered his room and was about to slump onto his bed until he decided he needed a distraction. He changed into his joggers, trainers, tank top and hoodie before getting out of the house and running. He wasn’t sure where to, but the feel of the wind hitting his face, blood pumping through his veins and heartbeat increasing soothed his mind. It calmed him. It was an oasis of serenity amidst the hectic month that he had been having. He focused on controlling his heart rate, on his breathing and that took his mind off worrying for Magnus, however the pit still remained in his stomach. No matter what, he wouldn’t-couldn’t stop worrying about Magnus until he found him. Until he told Magnus that he loved him too, that he always has and always will. That none of this is his fault and that Alec would protect him no matter what.

“Alec!” Someone called out behind him and Alec turned to see them

_Fuck sake._

“Uh, hi, Sebastian, what are you doing here?” Alec asked as he caught his breath.

“I was on my way to the combat centre, have you been running from your house?” He responded.

_Combat centre?_

That was over an hour’s walk away from his house...had he ran that much?

“Uh-yeah. I didn’t realise I got this far.” Alec replied incredulously.

“It happens; I’m guessing you’re worried about Magnus? I saw one of the posters. I’m so sorry Alec.” He sympathised and Alec was surprised to find the sincerity, the honesty in his voice.

Alec exhaled deeply, unsure of what to say, but Sebastian didn’t let the silence fit for long.

“Do you want to come to the centre? You can do archery; get your mind off it.” He offered.

It was almost like second nature for Alec to deny his offer, but he stopped himself. That actually sounded like a good idea.

“Uh-yeah, okay. Thanks.” He stuttered and Sebastian smiled then led him down the road.

They were a couple of blocks away from the centre so it took about 10 minutes to get there, and they were some of the most awkward 10 minutes of Alec’s life. It wasn’t because they didn’t speak, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Sebastian had talked about anything and everything except Magnus and in a way, it kind of helped...not that Alec would admit that to Sebastian.

He had to remember this guy was the one who threw himself onto Alec, even after he said no multiple times. But then again, before that he’d been a friend and it was almost easy to talk to him like they had before.

An hour passed in the centre and Alec was feeling reinvigorated, revitalized. He had the energy to continue with 100% in his search to find Magnus and that paired with his faith was doing wonders.

He exited the centre and was about to call a cab when he realised he didn’t have his phone. He had left it, along with his keys and wallet in his rush to get out of the house.

Sebastian seemed to notice this and spoke up. “I can give you a ride if you want? I have to go up to Harlem so it’ll be on the way.”

There wasn’t much Alec could do so he accepted the kind offer and seated himself in the passenger seat of the fancy Tesla.

_How did he afford something like this?_

“Are you hungry? I can go through a drive in and pick up some food if you want.” Sebastian said after a few moments of silence.

“No- no I’m good thanks.” He wasn’t about to make this weirder than it needed to be.

“Cool okay- I heard you passed the Bar. Congratulations.” Sebastian said with a kind smile.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks.” Alec replied.

He didn’t feel like talking about it.  That night was the last time he had seen Magnus and it wasn’t a nice memory. He wished the night turned out different. He wished he didn’t wake up to an empty bed, to find Magnus gone.

Sensing Alec’s discomfort, Sebastian changed the subject and they ended up talking about other less trivial topics such as films, music and Sebastian’s travelling.

Soon enough, they were nearing his house and the ride had been mildly pleasant and tolerable, however, of course that wouldn’t be allowed for the whole journey and Sebastian had to just ruin it.

“So, do you have any idea where he could be?”

Alec sighed, really? _Really?_ Hadn’t it been clear that he didn’t want to talk about this? About Magnus, about the fact that he was anywhere but with Alec.

“Uh- not really. Got to a dead end in Louisiana.” Alec answered flatly.

“Well, I know you’ll find him eventually Alec.”

It was weird to see him be so kind towards Alec, especially regarding Alec’s boyfriend...if Alec could even call Magnus that. No. That was a stupid thing to question. Magnus had said he loved Alec, and Alec loved Magnus, more than anything. They would be together, they _had_ to be together.

“I hope so.” Alec sighed.

They pulled up outside Alec’s house and Alec was just about to get out when Sebastian placed a hand on Alec’s arm.

“I know we didn’t part on good terms and I’m sorry for what I did to you...to our friendship. I know it’s a lot to ask for forgiveness so I’m not gonna ask, but I’m here for you Alec. If you need anything, any help with finding him, I’m just a phone call away.”

Alec stared in shock, disbelief and utter befuddlement. He was _not_ expecting that.

“Th-thank you, Sebastian.” Alec said a little hesitantly and accepted the hug that Sebastian offered over the centre console.

“You’re welcome Alec. I’m really sorry and I hope eventually we can become friends again despite our past.”

_Past_

“Oh my god.” Alec whispered.

“What?” Sebastian asked.

“I-I think I know how to find him.” He answered a little reluctantly.

“What?”

“I have to go, uh- thanks for the ride and the advice. Thank you Sebastian.” Alec gave another quick hug to Sebastian and promptly ran out of the car.

Sebastian...of all people, might be the one who actually helped the most to find Magnus.

***

“Woah woah, slow down Alec.” Ragnor said.

Cat took his hand and stopped his pacing, urging him to sit down on the sofa.

“What happened?” She asked calmly.

“Okay, so, this old friend, well not really friend but that doesn’t matter, he said something about the past and it made me think; maybe Magnus hasn’t gone some place random. You guys said he travelled a lot so he could have gone back to any of those places, and most of them, you went with him. So, you know which places were important, had significance and-“

“Halley” Raphael interrupted, staring right at Alec.

“Oh my god. Halley!” Ragnor exclaimed.

“What, what about her?” Alec exasperated.

“It was the one place that he went to the most, where she went missing.” Cat explained with wide eyes, mouth agape.

“Where?” Alec demanded, standing up and unlocking his phone, his dad’s number on the ready.

The three of them spoke at the same time.

“Houston, Texas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting there guys! Hold on just a little longer! :) <3


	17. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus gets offered a new deal and makes a big decision regarding his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyoo! Sorry for the lack of updates in the last week. I've had some medical crap to deal with and it's just been pretty shit but I've got a new chapter for you guys! You're not gonna like it... :(  
> I know this chapter seems a bit rushed and a lot of stuff happens but I really wanna get over this angst because it's killing me and I just want happy Malec, don't we all?  
> Trigger warnings for this one and I'll update the tags too so just fair warning and sorry for any mistakes, I didn't have time to check it and I really wanted to get it posted!

“You stupid fuck!” Valentine hissed. “Do you realise what you’ve done? You fucked it up. Take Camille and go get him now. And finish the job with Elias; he clearly didn’t succeed in getting that faggot back here. You’re all clearly incompetent.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.” Sebastian apologised.

“I don’t give two shits about your sorry. Just fix it!”

Sebastian nodded and promptly left his father’s office. He really did screw up. Alec said he knew how to find Magnus, and they couldn’t let that happen...Sebastian had to get to him first.

**Magnus PV**

_“You ruined everything, Magnus. How could you do this to me? To my family. You’re no better than my father, you’re poison.” Alec sneered at him._

_“Alexander, I’m sorry. I-I...I didn’t know what to do. I thought I had to do it.”_

_“Don’t call me that! You don’t get to call me that anymore. I hate you, I hate you so much.”_

_“Please, Alexan-Alec, please, I love you, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.” Magnus sobbed._

_“You don’t deserve my forgiveness after what you did. Just leave, Magnus...and never come back. I never want to see you again.”_

_“Please, I love you.”_

“Magnus, honey, wake up.” A voice called out.

“Please, Alexander, don’t leave me. I love you, please.” Magnus sobbed before bolting upright and observing his surroundings with a blurry vision.

“Honey, here.”

Magnus looked up and met grey eyes...Tessa.

She wiped away his tears with a tissue and handed him a cup of tea.

“I don’t know how to do this anymore.” Magnus confessed while staring down at the steaming liquid.

“Oh sweetie, come here.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her chest while he let his tears fall endlessly.

“What do you fancy for dinner?” Tessa asked after a few silent moments while softly rubbing Magnus’ back up and down.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Well, I have to go sort out stock at work in a few but I’ll be back in no longer than an hour and then we can have dinner and watch a movie, so see if you can think of something okay?”

Magnus nodded and managed a small, grateful smile; one that he knew did not reach his eyes. Tessa kissed his cheek lightly and got up, moving to make her way up the stairs.

He had stayed with Tessa for the past 3 days and now it was the 19th of December, one day before the 7 year anniversary of his father and mother’s death. It was shocking to think 7 years had passed, he could still remember every single detail of that day, of those three months between when Halley went missing and when they died. It was as if it was etched into his brain to remain there forever.

Ever since, his nightmares had gotten considerably worse. He’d managed to hide his new additional scars from Tessa to not worry her but the need to do so was becoming more and more insatiable. There was no way to ease the pain of losing Alec, of losing his family. He was hopeless and was becoming to think there was no use for him, no reason for him to keep fighting, but Tessa believed in him and that made the tiniest bit of energy left in him make him continue. She was here, she cared and that meant something, even if she was just a random, kind stranger.

“I’ll be back soon honey, help yourself to any food as usual and the phone is in the kitchen if you need to call me.” Tessa informed as she shrugged her jacket on.

She was unbelievably generous towards Magnus, allowing him to stay and taking care of him. Every day she was there, making sure he ate something even if it was a few bites. Making sure he was distracted from his terrible thoughts and provided a shoulder to lean on whenever he needed to just cry. She would be there when he’d wake up from his nightmares. Magnus wouldn’t know what he’d be doing right now, or if he’d even be here if she wasn’t there that day.

“Thanks, Tessa.” Magnus smiled, actually meaning this one. She kissed his cheek again and then left the house.

Magnus let out a shaky breath and finished his tea before forcing himself up from the sofa and into the bathroom to freshen up.

Showers were becoming more of a tolerable thing now and it seemed like an improvement, a small one but no less effective. Before, he couldn’t even think of getting in one since it just reminded him of him and Alec, but now it was becoming bearable.

Magnus let the hot, steaming water wash over him and he lathered the soap, inhaling the citrus scent before letting it run down his body along with the water.

After 10 minutes or so, he got out and patted himself dry. He dressed in sweatpants and a t shirt that Tessa had given to him and stood by the window, admiring the dark night sky. The stars were only slightly visible but they still shone through the clouds and Magnus couldn’t help but wonder what Alec was doing, what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

“No, Magnus. Stop it. Stop thinking about it.” Magnus scolded himself out loud.

He reached for the blade that he had taped to the underside of the bed and was just about to make another incision but a loud crash from downstairs startled him and he dropped it just shy of his foot.

Magnus froze as he heard heavy footsteps...one’s that did not sound like Tessa’s.

He backed up towards the bathroom door and slowly made his way inside, not even letting the slightest breath escape him for fear of being heard.

He managed to shut and lock the door with only a little click and everything was silent for what felt like an eternity, but then the footsteps started sounding again as they ascended the stairs.

_Fuck_

The door to the guest room creaked open and Magnus clenched his eyes shut tight, fighting back the tears.

The footsteps neared the bathroom and Magnus saw the handle turn as someone tried to open the door. There was a slight chuckle and then a hauntingly familiar voice spoke.

“Aww come on Magnus, I thought we were friends. Just open the door.”

Magnus was immobilized. What was he supposed to do?

He didn’t have much time to think as the sound of s silenced gunshot rung through the air and the door slammed open as the lock broke and there, right in front of him stood the devils spawn once again.

Sebastian.

Magnus didn’t think, just lunged forward at him and tried to land a few punches to no avail. He didn’t care about the gun, in fact, getting shot and killed didn’t sound so bad right now but Sebastian had other plans in mind as Magnus felt a sharp blow to his head before seeing black.

***

_“I hate you Magnus, you lied to me...used me. I hate you.” Alec shouted._

_“_ Magnus...Magnus!”

Magnus blinked his eyes open and immediately regretted it as he felt the throbbing pain on his head. He lifted his hand to the area but was stopped as someone grabbed his hand.

“Magnus”

He sucked in a breath as he felt a gauze pad delicately touch his forehead and finally managed to open his eyes to face Camille who looked at him with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Well, your psycho boyfriend whacked me on the head and kidnapped me and he also blackmailed me and I lost the only thing that mattered to me because of it, so yeah, I’m doing perfectly well.” Magnus deadpanned.

“I’m sorry, Magnus. I’m really sorry I dragged you into this, but they would have come after you eventually.”

Magnus felt everything shake around him and finally noticed where he was.

A plane.

“Why are we on a plane? Where are we going?” He asked with a glare towards Camille but he was fairly certain he knew exactly where they were going.

“New York”

_Great_

Magnus closed his eyes and leaned his head back, the facts not yet sinking in.

“He’s not my boyfriend you know.” Camille said after a few moments as she returned to cleaning the wound on Magnus’ head.

“No?” Magnus asked incredulously, though he didn’t really care about the answer, he just needed a distraction.

“No. Believe it or not, I was roped into this too.”

Magnus was about to ask how so but the doors from the cockpit opened and out came Sebastian.

He had a glare on his face that was directed straight at Magnus and Camille and it sent shivers down Magnus’ spine. This guy was truly evil; there was no doubt about that.

“What are you doing?” He sneered towards Camille who just finished cleaning Magnus’ wound.

“I’m sure dear old Valentine wouldn’t like to see him harmed, so I’m doing you a favour.” She retorted and Magnus’ eyes widened.

So Valentine didn’t want to kill him?

He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not by that. If he didn’t want him dead, there was something much worse in store for him.

“Shut up. Just, sit back down.” He said while he took a seat directly opposite Magnus. “Don’t think that little trick you played didn’t go unnoticed. Putting Hodge’s name on the list of accomplices. Luckily for you, Robert didn’t believe it and he hasn’t turned on Hodge...in fact, he’s turned on you. Got an APB out and everything. They want you dead you little fucker.”

Magnus tried not to show any reaction to Sebastian’s words. There was nothing that he could say to make Magnus feel worse about what he did and he expected this reaction from Robert so it wasn’t that shocking. The only part that hurt was the fact that they still let that traitor stay in the force, still trusted him.

Magnus shut his eyes and drowned out the turbulence along with Sebastian’s irritating humming and tried not to focus on the fact that he’d be returning to the one place where he didn’t want to be.

***

“Magnus, come on, get up.” Camille spoke and Magnus blinked his eyes open.

His head was still throbbing in pain but it was nothing compared to what he felt in his heart, in fact, it was a subtle distraction.

He was led out of the plane and blindfolded before being shoved into a car.

The drive was about half an hour but Magnus had no idea where he was, he didn’t even know where the plane landed so they could be on the other side of the world if he wasn’t told they were going back to New York.

A strong hand gripped his forearm and he was ushered into a building that was considerably warm compared to the cool December air that was outside. The blindfold was removed and he realised he was in an office of sorts next to Sebastian and another man whom he presumed was Valentine.

“Mr. Bane, please, take a seat.” He said and gestured to an uncomfortable looking chair.

Magnus sat down and accepted the glass of water that was offered to him. It was surprising that these people had some mannerisms considering their line of work and just their shitty personalities in general.

“How are you?” Valentine asked after he sat down in his own devils throne.

“Fine, what do you want?” Magnus said flatly.

“Feisty are we?” He chuckled diabolically. “Well, I guess we’ll cut out the pleasantries then. A friend of daddy dearest mentioned a laptop of sorts and there’s some information on there that we want. Clearly, we underestimated your abilities as this friend informed us of your after school activities with your father, you were quite the tech geek weren’t you?” He smirked smugly.

Magnus’s mind was whirling. Who was this friend of his father’s  and why did they know about their projects?

“What do you want?” Magnus repeated after a moment, deciding to not inquire about this friend.

“Well, we know where this laptop is-“

“Where?” Magnus interrupted. The last he remembered, the laptop was in the cabin where his father died and the last person to be there was Robe-

_Of course._

Valentine must have seen the glimmer of acknowledgement in Magnus’ eyes as he smirked wickedly. “Yes, Robert is proving to be a pain, isn’t he? And here I thought, you would have gotten him in prison. Did someone change their mind?” He teased.

“What do you want from me?”

“When we get this laptop, we want you to work with us. We think you’ll be a great addition and your talent is undeniable, you would be of great use.”

Magnus scoffed. Was this guy for real?

“Why the fuck would I do that?”

“We were hoping you’d join without any incentive. You’d get paid generously and live happily if you join us, but, if you need a push, I’d be more than happy to give one.” Valentine reached into a drawer and pulled out some images.

Magnus’ breath hitched and he felt like he was going to be sick.

It was Alec...and Sebastian. Walking together. In Sebastian’s car outside Alec’s parent’s house. Alec smiling at him, hugging him.

“I understand you’ve taken a liking to this boy, I’d have no problem ending him. Ending his sister...what’s her name? Isabelle. Or that brother of his, Jace, the younger one too, Max is it? Or what about your friends? Ragnor, Catarina, Raphael.”

Magnus looked up and met Valentine’s gaze, his eyes were just as black as Sebastian’s, if not more.

“The boy has moved on, so should you. You can begin the next chapter of your life with us.”

Alec has moved on...with Sebastian?

“And what if I don’t accept your offer?” Magnus gulped.

“Then we will feed you to the pigs, or sell you. I’m sure many of our clients would love a pretty little thing like you.”

Magnus stayed silent. This was once again, him being blackmailed. Him being used.

“We’ll give you time to think over it, of course. For now, you should probably rest as it’s quite late.” He added and nodded to Sebastian. “See you later Mr. Bane.”

Magnus was hurled up by Sebastian and led to a room with a single bed and wardrobe along with what he presumed was an en-suite bathroom.

Magnus took a seat and sat in silence with Sebastian watching over him like he was a speck of dirt.

“Alec...”Sebastian smirked and sucked in a breath. “He’s so perfect, isn’t he? Got such a tight little hole...mmh.”

Magnus flinched and immediately wished he didn’t show any reaction because Sebastian obviously continued to further his discomfort.

“He’s such a little slut. It didn’t take me long to get into his pants, to get his lips wrapped around my cock, to have me inside of him. I fucked him like he’s never been fucked before and he begged me for more.”

Magnus felt tears spring at the corners of his eyes and he tried to drown out the words that were coming from Sebastian but it was impossible. He hated him. Hated him with such a passion. How could Alec go with him?

It was silent for a couple of minutes and Magnus tried to not show his malaise and state of uneasiness but he knew he wasn’t doing a very good job. Luckily, there was a knock on the door to avert his attention.

What he wasn’t expecting was the man who walked in and Magnus couldn’t keep it in any longer. He turned to the side and emptied what little there was in his stomach and then continued when there was nothing but air.

“Fuck, seriously Bane?” Sebastian heaved. “Get him into another room...now!” He ordered and Magnus was roughly forced up by the intruder and into another room along the corridor.

“I guess you remember me then?” The man asked and Magnus tried to not throw up again...

_“Dad! Maggie and I are gonna go down to the hotel bar, there’s some live magician doing a show and we wanna go watch.” Halley said and Asmodeus nodded before handing her some notes._

_“Enjoy yourselves and be safe kids.”_

_Magnus and Halley made their way down the elevator and into the hotel bar where the stage was already set up for the magician._

_“Maggie! Come on!” Halley dragged Magnus to the front where they would get a better view of the show and they sat down on an empty table._

_“I’m gonna get some fries, do you want some?” She asked after observing the menu._

_“Yeah sure, and a lemonade too. I’m gonna go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.” Magnus stood as Halley called over the waiter._

_When he returned from the bathroom, there was someone sat in his seat and from what it looked like, he was flirting with Halley who was gladly accepting the attention.  She caught his gaze as he strode towards the table and gave him a glare that said ‘don’t you dare fuck up my chance!’ and so he backed away with a chuckle and took a seat at the bar._

_The show started and Halley sat with the guy who was, as Magnus soon realised, absolutely stunning. His skin was a glowing brown and his sparkling eyes were dark._

_Magnus sat and enjoyed the show while sipping on his drink and eating some fries and keeping a watch over his sister and this new guy. He knew she could take care of herself and he didn’t need to pry but he couldn’t help wanting to make sure she was okay._

_The show eventually ended and the guy left after slipping a note to Halley. Magnus walked back over to her once he left and smirked knowingly._

_“So...spill”_

_She squealed and grabbed his arm, ushering him to the outdoor garden style area of the hotel. They both sat on the grass and lay back, staring up at the starry sky._

_“Oh my gosh okay, did you see how perfect he looked? Like daaaamnn that body.” They both giggled before she continued. “His name was Imasu, he’s from Peru and studying music in New York!”_

_What’s he doing here then?” Magnus asked._

_“Holiday with his family, he came to watch the magic show too.”_

_Magnus hummed in lieu of an answer and a comfortable silence enveloped them as they observed the night sky._

_After 10 minutes or so, Magnus got up and hauled Halley to her feet too. “Come on, we should get back before mom and dad lose their shit.”_

_They made their way up to their room and while Magnus got ready for bed, Halley fished out her phone and texted someone...Imasu probably._

_Magnus eventually fell asleep even with the bright light coming from Halley’s phone shining through the room and the next morning, he woke to find her dressed in a short embroidered bohemian style dress paired with brown suede ankle boots and a matching jacket._

_“Where are you going?” He yawned._

_“I’m going to have breakfast with Imasu down at the hotel restaurant.”_

_“Have you told mom or dad?”_

_“No, and don’t tell them okay? Just say I went for a run or something.”_

_“Halley...”_

_“Maggie! Please! You know they’d just shout at me and I really like this guy. Please, just stall for like an hour and half and I’ll be back no later than that. Okay?” She pleaded and Magnus couldn’t refuse._

_“Okay” He groaned as she kissed his cheek and smiled happily before skipping out of the room._

“Imasu” Magnus grimaced.

He hummed and smirked smugly as he sat down on the vacant chair in the room.

“You’re the one that took her, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” He retorted but the smirk on his face told Magnus otherwise.

“What did you do? Is-is she alive?” Magnus stuttered, the possibility only now coming into his head. This man had been with her when she was last seen, and they never found her after that...she could be alive.

Imasu stayed silent and the smirk never left his face.

Magnus didn’t bother asking again, he knew someone who would stick their ground and not talk and Imasu was one of those people.

If Magnus had the energy, he would strangle that man with his bare hands, but his body was aching...his heart was still aching. All the loss he felt from when he lost his sister, his father and his mother piling on top of what already felt after losing Alec.

There was too much to think about. All the loss; Sebastian and Alec together; this man and whether Halley was alive; whether Valentine had some part to play in her disappearance; Tessa...who would be going crazy worrying about what happened to him.

“She was a virgin.” Imasu said after the few minutes of silence. “Didn’t die that way though.”

Magnus launched himself at him and began to kick, punch, and scratch...anything to let his anger and frustration out.

This man had killed Halley.

Imasu didn’t do anything to stop Magnus, he just let it happen and when Magnus finally tired from the lack of food and general exhaustion from the past few hours, he pulled back and curled into a ball on the bed as he silently sobbed until he fell asleep. 

***

“Magnus, get up right now.”

Magnus jumped up as he felt cold water splash across his face and opened his eyes to see Camille standing above him.

“Camille, what the fu-“

He stopped midsentence as he took in the sight next to him...Imasu sat on the chair that Magnus left him in last night but there was a dagger in his chest, right where his heart lay.

“Yo-you killed him?” Magnus asked incredulously, looking back at Camille.

“Yes, and you need to get up right now before someone comes in and finds us.”

“Why?” Magnus asked even though he did as he was told and accepted the jacket she held out for him.

“Because I’m getting you out of here.”

Magnus froze and stared at her in disbelief.

“You don’t understand Magnus, these people...they’re not right in the head. What they do, and what they want, it’s just evil. And they need you to get what they want, so you can’t be here Magnus. You have to go and run away.”

“He killed Halley.” Magnus stated, unable to register what Camille was saying even as she ushered him out the door and down the hallway.

“Who? Imasu?”

Magnus nodded as he passed door after door.

“Fuck...I’m sorry Magnus.”

He didn’t say anything, just followed. The adrenaline was pumping through him and he couldn’t think about what was happening.

“I don’t know much about what they’re planning but I know they have someone who used to know your father and she told them about something your father was working on and they think that you’re the key to getting that and from what I’ve heard, it’s bad Magnus. You can’t let them get to you. Just get out of here and don’t come back, stay as far away as possible.”

“They threatened Alec and his family.”

“They can’t do anything to him. He’s the son of the captain of the NYPD and as much power as they have, they can’t lay a finger on him. I know he’s with Sebastian or whatever but Seb won’t hurt him either. Just, trust me, they can’t have you Magnus, they can’t have whatever it is that they want.”

Magnus just nodded as they passed a room that had a glass window and what appeared to be some purple plant inside, but he didn’t take much notice to it.

Once outside, he breathed in the fresh, crisp morning air and turned to face Camille.

“Here, I found this in Elias’ room.”

“Who’s Elias?” Magnus asked as he accepted whatever it was that Camille offered.

“He’s the guy that you met at that bar, Valentine hired him to get to you and drug you he could bring you back here but you obviously left before he could do so. I found this on the floor and I knew it wasn’t his.”

Magnus looked in his hand and gasped as he saw the charm...the Omamori charm that Alec had given him.

She handed him a few notes and some car keys. “Take this car and go down that road until you reach the river bank and then dump the car and get away from here as fast as you can.”

“Why are you doing this?” He asked.

“Because, like I said, these people are bad Magnus, you can’t trust them.”

“You work with them.”

“My dad did and then he fled and he owes them a shit load of money and I got roped into this, but that’s not the point. It’s my fault that they found out you exist and are alive and now it’s my responsibility to make sure they don’t get you. I’m so sorry Magnus, I really wish this hadn’t happened to you but you have to go now.” She hugged Magnus and kissed his forehead before shoving him into the car and he started it.

“What do you mean found out I exist?” He inquired.

“We don’t have time Magnus, just go!”

Noticing the urgency in her voice and realising that she was in fact right, he bolted without a glance back.

***

Magnus reached the river in 15 minutes and rushed out of the car, leaving the keys inside. He walked a few miles or so with the hood of his jacket up. He had no idea where he was now but the walk and fresh air helped him think, and that’s when he came by the poster.

_If you’ve seen this man, please contact NYPD._

There was a picture of him that he knew was one that Alec took of him in his loft.

So it was true. Alec wanted him in jail, Robert wanted him in jail. They hated him. And they had every right to.

Magnus continued walking and tried to fight back the tears that were prickling at the corner of his eyes.

This all felt like a terrible nightmare and he wished himself to wake up.

He hailed a cab and got in, directing the driver to a place he hadn’t visited in over 7 years.

After an almost 40 minute drive, the cab stopped at the end of a long road that was surrounded by trees. Magnus paid the driver when he got out and began the trek along the road.

It took another 20 minutes or so but he made it eventually and looked up towards the cabin that once belonged to his father.

He knew he was trespassing but he had to be inside, so he broke the glass on the door using his elbow and unlocked it from the outside.

It smelt the same.

Sandalwood filled the atmosphere and Magnus inhaled the scent, reminiscing all the times he came here before, and then he noticed that it looked exactly the same too.

The soft, navy couch was in the corner by the fire place and facing the TV. The same pillows were there along with the same rug on the floor, same blanket hanging over the same arm chair. It was identical.

Magnus wondered why the new owner kept it the same until he remembered that they covered up his father’s death and so therefore the fact that he died here. It wouldn’t have been sold, just listed as abandoned property.

That thought made Magnus feel sick again.

He walked through the front room and paused when he reached the door to the basement. Taking a deep breath, he opened it and descended the stairs alone.

Everything was the same...well, almost.

Magnus took in the room. The one place where he and his father used to work, used to invent new gadgets no matter how small and pathetic or how life changing they were.

He sat down on the chair that used to be his and felt the adrenaline rush out of him and all the thoughts flood in.

Camille had helped him. Camille who had broke his heart; cheated and used him had saved him.

Halley was dead. It wasn’t much of a shock. It has been over 7 years after all and the chances of her being alive was close to nothing, but to actually hear that she was dead from the man who had killed her was heartbreaking. She was really gone. And he had killed her. And Magnus had let it happen. He had told his parents that she was just out for a run when that sick bastard was with her... _raping her_ and then he killed her. Had Magnus actually told his dad, she might still be alive. He wouldn’t be so alone. And now, her killer was working with Valentine, the biggest dicks of them all. The actual devil disguised in an Armani suit. And they wanted him. Wanted to use him for whatever sick plans they had. Who knew what Asmodeus was working on before he died and now they wanted that, and he was the key to getting it.

Magnus fished out the Omamori charm from his pocket and clutched onto it tightly. Alec had said he would protect him, would always be there and now he wanted him in jail, he was sleeping with the enemy, he hated Magnus.

But Magnus couldn’t bring it upon himself to be angry at Alec, he did this to himself. He’s the one to blame. Magnus was always the one to blame.

He once said he was blinded by Camille, her lies and her beauty. He hated her for what she did to him, but he did the same to Alec. Sure, he had his reasons, more so that Camille did at the time but that doesn’t make it any better. He was vindictive, and manipulating, and that makes him no different from the people he now despises, the people he is now running from.

It’s at times like these that you wonder when you became so blinded by your need to revenge, for an outlet of your anger that you forget to actually stop and look to see what you’re tearing down in the process. A family. Magnus spent years trying to find that, and just because it was taken from him didn’t give him the right to take that from someone else, no matter what the reasons may have been.  Thankfully, he talked himself out of doing that, but he still caused all of this. It was all his fault.

He understands that now, more than ever after spending time with Alec and his family, after being accepted and finally feeling a sense of belonging. And he managed to screw it all over in his spitefulness; he managed to lose the only person he’s ever truly loved, the only person he will ever love. And that, was the most heart breaking moment of his life, nothing would be worse to endure.

Halley was dead. His father was dead. His mother was dead. Alec wanted nothing to do with him and Valentine wanted to use him for whatever evil plans he had.

There was no reason for him to be here. He’d tried to hold on for as long as he could but there was nothing left now. There was no reason for him to continue.

Magnus walked back up the stairs and grabbed a piece of broken glass from the window on the door before making his way back down to the basement.

It was poetic in a way. 20th December. The same day and place where his father died.

Though Magnus had made many mistakes in his life and probably deserved something much worse than this, he’d also endured a lot of pain and he ached for a release of all the bottled up hurt and anguish.

He ached to stop his suffering.

With tears streaming down his face and the Omamori charm in one hand, he slashed his wrists again and again until he felt numb and fell to the floor. He kept on going until he had no more energy to do so and then he just lay on the floor waiting for darkness to consume him, the charm still in his hand and his thoughts drifting to hazel eyes and raven hair, the love of his life.

“Goodbye, Alexander.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!  
> I'm sorry if anyone was affected by this chapter as I personally know that it's a difficult topic.  
> As for the story line, I promise (pinky promise) it'll be okay and there will be a happy ending! Just hold on a little longer and pleaseee don't hate me for the cliffhanger and all that :( It'll get better guys!  
> Love you all and see you soon for chapter 18! <3 <3
> 
> Think of that quote, about a flower having to go through soil and dirt before it can bloom. All this angst is the dirt and soon, Magnus will bloom! MALEC WILL BLOOM, I promise!


	18. Like Father, Like Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the new found information, Alec rushes to get to Magnus, not realising that he's closer than he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this didn't go up yesterday, I really wanted to post it because the previous chapter was such a cliffhanger (sorry about that btw) but here you go anyway!  
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos and readers! I appreciate it so much you guys <3  
> Hope you like the chapter!

**Alec PV**

“Houston, Texas.” Raphael, Ragnor and Catarina said at the same time.

“We have to go there.” Alec stated as he placed the ringing phone to his ear, however, it went straight to voicemail. “Fuck it, I’m booking a plane ticket.”

“Alec, hold on.” Ragnor protested.

“What! This is Magnus guys! I can’t leave him there, I can’t let him think that I hate him, I-I can’t live without him.” Alec broke down, his knees hitting the floor and his hands coming up to cover his tears that began to fall.

He couldn’t live without Magnus, and the thought of him being anywhere but with Alec was like torture. He was in Texas, he had to be. And wherever Magnus was, that’s where Alec should be.

“Alec, sweetie, you have to think this through. He might not even be there, and your dad is the captain of the NYPD, he can get the force there to look for you before you jump on a plane.”

“I don’t want the force there to find him though...I want to find him, I _need_ to find him. I need to tell him that I love him, and that-and that I...I don’t hate him. I need him.” Alec sobbed and accepted the hug from Cat, burying his head in the crook of her neck as she rubbed his back up and down.

“Let’s keep trying your dad and then we’ll decide what to do okay?”

Alec nodded, he knew he was being a little unreasonable, but this was Magnus. If there was any chance of him being in Texas, Alec was going to take it no matter what.

“Can we go to the station?” Alec asked as his tears began to calm.

“Yeah, let’s go, come on.” Raphael jumped in.

They all rushed to the car and sped to the station where Robert and Jace both were.  It was now almost midnight and Alec was growing impatient, fidgeting with his hands in the back seat. Cat took his hands in hers to calm him.

“Alec, we’ll find him, don’t worry.”

“What if we’re too late?” He hated to even ask that, but there was a constant fear in him. A constant voice that kept bugging him that he wouldn’t be quick enough. What if they were too late? What if Valentine got to Magnus before they could? What if he couldn’t hold on any longer and gave in? What if he was gone?

_No!_

Alec would not accept that. Magnus was strong, and he was a fighter. He could do this. He had to do this.

_Just hold on, Magnus, I’m gonna bring you home. Just hold on baby._

They reached the station in less than 15 minutes and Alec barged through the front doors to find it mostly empty save for a few officers and Hodge.

_Fuck sake._

“Alec, son, how are you?” He chirped.

_You don’t get to call me son, you twat._

“Fine, where’s dad? And Jace?” Alec said after seeing his father’s empty office.

“He got called out for a case with the FBI and Jace went with him, I think he’ll be on all night kiddo, sorry. Anything I can help with?”

_No you dickhead, since you’re part of the fucktards that used my boyfriend. Asshole._

“No, thanks. I’ll um-uh, wait for him at home.”

“Alright then, see you around.” Hodge turned away to head back to whatever he was doing and Alec turned to face the others who all shared a similar glare towards Hodge’s back.

“I fucking hate that guy.” Ragnor whispered.

“Can’t argue with that.” Raphael agreed.

“Alec, honey, let’s go back to yours, we can’t do anything yet so we’ll just have to wait for your dad to get home okay?”

Alec nodded, but he had no intention of doing so. Magnus was out there and he was gonna go to fucking Texas whether he spoke to his dad before or not.

***

Alec arrived home and rushed straight to his bedroom, turning on his laptop. Isabelle was sitting on the bean bag but he didn’t even notice her presence until she spoke.

“Hey big bro. Wanna tell me what you’re doing? Booking a ticket to Texas?” She inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Alec didn’t reply, he wasn’t about to let anyone talk him out of this.

“Alec, we all want to find Magnus, but this isn’t the way to do it.”

“Why not!” Alec snapped. “Why is everybody fucking saying that?”

“Because he might not even be there, Alec.” She answered, still unbelievably calm.

“Iz, fuck, this is Magnus! We’ve been looking for him for a month, a whole fucking month and we’ve got nothing. And now that I actually have something to follow, you’re telling me not to go?! What the fuck. I can’t-you don’t understand. I can’t live without him, and if he’s there, I have to go. I have to tell him...I have to tell him I love him. And I just-I need him to come home. I need him to come back to me. I need him to be okay.” Alec could feel the tears building up in his eyes but he just brushed them away with the back of his hand and returned his attention to the laptop, looking for the next available flights.

“Don’t you think I know that?! I wanna find him too, you know. We all want him back, he’s part of this family and no one gets left behind.” Izzy sounded a little irritated now. “But you’re not thinking this through. Think about it, Valentine knows where he is meaning he most probably has eyes on him at all times, which means if you go looking for him there by yourself, he could get you too. Then he’ll have you and Magnus and he could get dad to hand over that laptop or whatever and we can’t let that happen. Just, hold off until dad get’s back, please Alec, please think this through.” She pleaded.

Fuck. She had a point.

But still, it’s Magnus.

“Iz, it’s Magnus. I don’t care about a stupid fucking laptop. I care about him, and God knows what he’s thinking right now, what he’s going through...what if he-if he tries to-“

“No.” Izzy cut him off. “Stop thinking like that Alec.”

“I can’t help it Iz, he’s alone. He thinks he has no one...he thinks I hate him.” Alec looked down at his hands, unable to meet his sister’s gaze.

She got up and made her way to the bed where Alec was, taking his hands in her own and placing a kiss to them.

“Alec, we love him...you love him more than anything and he’s stronger than what most give him credit for. He’ll make it through this, we all will. Don’t lose your faith in that.”

Alec nodded in lieu of a response.

“Now, this plane ticket. Just, please, wait for dad okay? Once he gets back, if he says to go, I’ll come with you myself. Fuck, we’ll all come with you, you’re not alone, Magnus isn’t alone. Okay?”

“Okay” Alec’s voice sounded croaky and broken.

Izzy wrapped her arms around him and he snuggled closer to her, accepting the warm embrace. It was probably past 1 in the morning now and Alec felt the exhaustion from the day hit him. The conversation with Sebastian felt like weeks ago rather than the mere few hours.

Alec let his heavy eyelids fall and he fell asleep in Izzy’s arms, wishing they were Magnus’.

***

It was about 4a.m. when Alec heard the front door open and close and he bolted about of bed, forgetting that Izzy was still there sleeping soundly.

He’d gotten about 3 hours sleep, but that was better than usual so he wasn’t complaining.

Alec rushed down the stairs and startled Robert and Jace.

“Alec? What are you doing up?” Robert asked tiredly.

In any other situation, Alec would feel bad for keeping his dad up. He knew he was tired, especially after the long shift, but this wasn’t one of those times for him to feel bad.

“Dad, we have to go Texas. Magnus, Houston. Halley.”Alec blurted out.

Apparently his morning self couldn’t communicate properly now.

“What?” Jace said at the same time as Robert. It wasn’t so much of a question though. They both seemed too tired to register anything even if Alec had worded it in a way that was remotely understandable.

“Fuck, uh, sorry. We have to go Houston, I think Magnus is there and we need to go like now because it’s been like almost 5 hours since I figured out he might be there and everyone convinced me to wait for you and I did but now we’ve wasted 5 hours and that’s 5 hours and like almost a whole freaking month too long so come on, let’s book some tickets and go.” Alec let out a deep breath after rambling all of that in one sentence.

Robert just stared at him blankly as if he was talking gibberish.

“Why would you think he’s in Texas?”Robert inquired as he suppressed a yawn and moved towards the kitchen while Alec and Jace followed.

“Because, I thought about him probably going somewhere with meaning, something that was important in the past rather than any place random and then I talked to Cat, Ragnor and Raph and they said he always used to go Houston as much as he could because that’s where his sister went missing and I know he’s there dad...he has to be there.” Alec said the last part of that sentence as a plea.

“Okay, okay Alec. This is great. But, if he’s there, we have to do this properly. Valentine’s probably got men everywhere watching Magnus’ every move, watching our every move even.”

“Yes, I know and everyone keeps saying that but I need him dad, I need him back home.”

Robert placed both his hands on Alec’s shoulders before moving one to cup Alec’s cheek, patting it softly and slowly. “I know son, we’ll bring him back home.”

Robert opened up the tablet on the kitchen counter and Alec sat right beside him as Jace made coffee, knowing they’d need it to stay awake if they were doing this.

“Okay, next flight is in half an hour but I need to go somewhere so we’ll  go on the one aft-“

“What!” Alec shouted, not caring that everyone else was asleep.

“Alec, keep your voice down.”

“What do you mean you need to go somewhere? What could be more important than this?”

“Alec, I’ve done everything to look for him and this is a solid lead, I understand your urgency but I need to do something, so we’ll both go after that. No arguments.”

“Da-“

“No arguments Alec!”

Alec hadn’t seen his father act like this in years. It was strange. But he knew a lost cause when he saw it, and this was one of them. It was a fight he was not going to win. He sighed, accepting defeat.

Robert booked the flight that left in two hours.

Two, whole, fucking, hours.

“Jace, get some sleep son. You too, Alec. I’ll be back in an hour and we’ll leave for the airport then and I’ll call the captain of their police department and let them know to run him through street cams and so on. We’ll get him, okay?” Robert said, grabbing a travel flask and tipping his mug of coffee into it.

Alec nodded. “Are you going to tell me where you’re going?”

“Get some sleep Alec, I’ll be back soon.” And with that, he left again.

“What was all that about?” Alec asked Jace as they shuffled up the stairs.

Jace just shrugged, too tired to even speak now.

***

Alec flopped down onto his bean bag as Izzy had now taken up most of the bed. Chairman woke up sometime while Alec was downstairs and now curled up in his lap, demanding to be petted.

Alec stroked behind his hears and ran his fingers through the soft fur making Chairman purr in pleasure.

He didn’t know how long he sat there for but he didn’t sleep a wink, too impatient and jittery to get on that flight to Magnus. He almost completely blanked out his phone ringing until Izzy woke up and chucked it in his general direction.

He didn’t bother checking the ID and answered as Izzy watched him warily.

“Hello?”

“Alec, get to the Presbyterian right now.” Robert sounded desperate, urgent and panicked.

“What shit dad, are you okay? What happened?”Alec blurted out as he jumped to his feet and towards the door, Isabelle doing the same.

“I’m fine, Alec...it’s...”

“It’s what dad?” Alec was feeling the urgency now too as he ran down the stairs, Izzy hot on his heels.

The next word made him freeze. Relief, fear, panic, worry, every feeling pounding within him. It was one word, yet it changed everything.

* * *

Robert hopped into his car and made his way to the nearest store that was open. He felt bad for putting the flight to Magnus on hold but this was important. It was tradition, and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he didn’t follow through. He bought a bottle of Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey and drove to the place that he goes every year on the 20th December.

Once there, he walked up to the front door and the bottle slipped out of his hand, falling to the floor and smashing to pieces, golden brown liquid covering the wooden front patio.

He slowly removed his gun from the holster on his hip and entered the building. He noticed the door to the basement was flung open but did a quick round of the living room and kitchen before heading to the sublevel.

There, right where Robert had shot Asmodeus, was Magnus in a pool of his own blood. And once again, it was his fault. He may not have been the one to pull the trigger or slash the skin this time, but he was still to blame. It was his fault that Magnus lay there, just like his father once had. But this time would be different. This time, Robert wouldn’t mess up. He’ll save a life instead of taking one.

He had to do it. He had to save Magnus.

Robert rushed to him and placed two fingers against his neck.

It was faint, but it was there.

He quickly inspected Magnus and found the source of the scarlet blood. He removed his scarf and tied Magnus’s wrists together tightly to try and stop the bleeding that still slowly seeped through the woollen fabric.

Despite Magnus’ weakness, he was clutching onto something strongly so Robert plucked it out of his hands and hauled a pale, almost lifeless body into his arms, rushing to his car.

Blood covered his coat and shirt but he could care less. He was running on adrenaline, on the fear of this boy taking his last breath.

He was not going to let that happen.

Robert sped down the empty road that was surrounded by trees and dialled Alec’s number. Once he was onto the main road, he switched on the lights and sirens and raced to the nearest hospital which just so happened to be where Izzy now interned.

He carried Magnus into the ER and he was instantly wheeled away by nurses and doctors. Robert collapsed to his knees and let a stray tear fall down his cheek, praying to any God or Angel out there to save Magnus, to save his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo???? I know it's still cliffhangery (that's not a real word but it is now) but we got there! Thanks for holding on for so long, damn I dragged it out way too much...oopsies. But get ready for the Malec reunion and I'll see you lovelies in the next chapter. <3 You're all awesome :D  
> Btw, I just felt like saying this so excuse the randomness. No joke, but one of my favourite parts about this whole thing is naming the chapters, it's so exciting and I don't even know why. I feel like they're super cool and mysterious until you read the chapter and then it's like BAM and you're like ohhh and it's probably only me thinking that but yeah, just thought I'd let you know.


	19. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec rushes to the hospital and he and Robert make some decisions regarding Magnus' safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeee Boi! It's a bit late where I am but my eyes are like super wide and I'm more awake than ever because I really wanted to finish this chapter! I hope you guys like it! <3

**Alec PV**

Alec burst through the ER door with Izzy right behind him, rushing straight to the reception desk.

“Magnus Edo-Bane, he was bought in by Robert Lightwood, Captain of the NYPD. Where is he?” Alec demanded.

“I’m sorry, who?”

“Magnus Bane!” Alec practically shouted.

She started typing away on the computer, each click of a key making Alec all the more impatient.

“I’m sorry; we haven’t had anyone enter with that name.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Alec slammed his hands down on the desk.

“Alec,” Izzy interjected, placing a hand on his arm. “calm down.” She turned to the receptionist with an apologetic smile. “Can you please look again?”

The lady looked scared and a little annoyed but nodded politely and began typing away once again.

“Alec, Isabelle.” Robert’s voice rang out and Alec shot his head to the side to find Robert, blood on his shirt and a bandage on his left inner elbow.”

“Where is he?” Alec questioned, barely a whisper as all fears of Magnus being gone ran through his mind.

“Dad, are you okay?” Izzy asked at the same time, her gaze lingering on Robert’s arm.

“I’m fine Isabelle, just a little tired and worn. They haven’t said what room he’s in yet, he had to have a transfusion.”

“Transfusion? You-you gave him blood?” Alec quavered incredulously.

“They were short on his blood type and he’s the same as me. Come and sit, the doctor will come out soon.”

 Alec followed his dad and sat down on one of the chairs in between Robert and Isabelle.

“Is...is he gonna be okay?” Alec whispered and Izzy took one of his hands and gave it a squeeze.

“I don’t know Alec; he-he lost a lot of blood.” Robert replied, not taking his eyes off his hands which still had some dried blood on it.

“I’m gonna go get some coffee okay?” Isabelle said and got up to go to the cafeteria.

“Did he-do you think...he tried-“Alec stammered.

“I think so.”

Alec gulped and felt the tears build up in his eyes once again.

There were so many questions running thorough Alec’s mind but all he could think about was Magnus hurting himself because he was scared and alone. The fact of actually having found him had not yet settled and it felt like a blur, a weird dream that was simultaneously a nightmare.

“It’s my fault.” Robert said, barely a whisper as his hands trembled.

“What are you talking about?”

“He-he tried to kill himself because of what I did.”

“Dad, you’re not to blame. He didn’t know the truth.” Alec assured, taking his father’s shivering hands in his own ones that were just as shaky.

“It doesn’t make a difference Alec. I still got Asmodeus in that situation, if-if it wasn’t for me, he would still be alive. Magnus would still have his father. I took that from him, and now Magnus’ blood is on my hands. Magnus almost died because of what I did.”

“Dad, you only ever tried to protect everyone, protect this city. You saved Asmodeus’ father from so much pain, and now you’ve saved Magnus.”

Alec wasn’t sure where this confidence of Magnus actually being okay came from, but Izzy was right. He had to have faith.

Robert didn’t say anything but Alec saw the single tear fall onto the floor and he instantly pulled his father into a hug. They both needed it.

Alec’s tears were falling freely now too. He hadn’t seen his father like this in years. This broken and lost. If Alec’s heart wasn’t already shattered to pieces, it would have broke again just from seeing his dad like this.

Isabelle returned with three coffees and a chocolate bar for Robert and Alec accepted the cup with a grateful smile, taking a sip straight away. The hot liquid burned Alec’s tongue but it bought him back to reality.

They found Magnus.

***

Robert had fallen asleep with his head resting on Alec’s shoulder while Alec and Isabelle sat in silence. It had been almost an hour and they hadn’t heard anything and Alec couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where are you going?” Isabelle asked as Alec stood up.

“It’s been an hour Iz; I need to know what’s going on. I need to see him.”

She just nodded understandingly and Alec walked back to the front desk to the receptionist who sighed as she caught sight of him.

“Magnus Bane was it?” She asked before Alec could say anything. He just nodded once and she began typing away.

That sound was beginning to infuriate Alec; he just wanted to smash the damn thing against a wall.

“They’ve finished the transfusion but that’s all I can say for now until his family get here.”

Alec lost it.

“They’re dead!”

“I’m sorry sir but I can’t give out information unless he or a family member gives consent to do so.”

“I am his family. _We_ are his fami-” Alec said pointing to where his dad and sister sat but stopped midsentence when he saw the doctor had returned.

He ran to where they were and bombarded the doctor with his impending question.

“Is he okay? What room is he in? Can we see him? Will he be okay? Can I please see him?”

“Sir, I’m sorry but I can’t divulge this informa-“

“His parents are dead and his sister has been missing for 7 years. We’re his family and you will tell-“ Alec interrupted but Robert stopped him from continuing his threat.

“Look,” He showed his badge to the doctor. “I bought him in here, I need to know if he’s going to be okay and when we can see him.”

The doctor sighed after thoroughly inspecting the badge. “He’ll be okay, we’ve kept him under sedation for the time being as he lost a lot of blood and he’s extremely malnourished. From what I can tell, he hasn’t slept properly or eaten well in over 3 weeks.”

Alec’s heart contracted.

“We need to keep him under observation for at least a week and then I highly recommend therapy, we’ll most probably have to admit him as an inpatient too for his lack of nutrition.” The doctor finished.

“I want to move him to a private room and I’m going to need to post extra security at his door.” Robert stated firmly in an authoritative tone.

“That’ll be no problem Captain, we’ll move him into one of our private rooms on the fourth floor and you can see him in half an hour.”

“Thank you, doctor...”

“Carstairs, Jem Carstairs.” He held out his hand to shake and Robert returned the gesture. “I’ll get the nurse to take him upstairs and I’ll inform her to let you in as soon as possible.”

Robert nodded thankfully and Dr Carstairs went back to through the double doors that he came from.

“He’s gonna be okay.” Alec breathed out, staring at the floor.

He couldn’t believe it.

“You saved him dad. You saved Magnus.” Alec stated.

“Alec, I put him in this situa-“

“No, dad, you saved him.” Isabelle intervened.

He pulled both Izzy and Alec into his arms and hugged them deeply.

“Thank you, dad” Alec whispered.

***

“Captain Lightwood? You can go in now.” A nurse called out and Alec shot to his feet.

“Go, Alec.” Robert said with a small smile and Alec nodded and gulped before turning to the nurse.

“I’m sorry Mr Lightwood, but I can’t let you in. It’s only family members allowed but we’re making an exception for the Captain.” She stated a little too smugly and Alec wanted to shout at her for being such a bitch.

“Nurse, I appreciate your confidentiality but I authorize my son visiting him before I do so would you kindly escort him to Mr Bane’s room, please.” Robert ordered in a tone that left no room for argument and Alec could tell that the nurse wouldn’t push it anymore.

She led him to the door and opened it slowly, letting Alec enter.

_Magnus_

He lay on the bed, pale as a ghost, thinner than before but he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

“He’s still heavily sedated so he won’t be waking up anytime soon and Dr Carstairs will want to check on him soon so you don’t have long.” The nurse said unkindly as if she needed to prove she still had some authority since Robert completely shut her up a mere few seconds ago.

Alec took no notice however and just walked over to the bedside and took a seat in the soft couch there as she left the room without another word. He took one of Magnus’ hands in his. It was cold and his long fingers had been stripped from the usual rings and nail polish. Alec placed a soft kiss to Magnus’ knuckles.

“I’m so sorry Magnus. I should have done better. I should have been better. You deserve so much more than this...than me, and I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you couldn’t talk to me, like you couldn’t trust me. I love you, I love you more than anything and it scares me so much because just the thought of you being hurt kills me. I-I can’t lose you Magnus. I love you.”

A tear of relief fell down Alec’s cheek and he leant his head on the bed, rubbing slow circles on the back of Magnus’ hand that he still held in both of his.

Magnus was here. A whole month, he’d been panicked and worried and lost, trying everything he could to find Magnus and here he was, right in front of Alec.

It was as if he could finally breathe again, he could finally live again. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy and Magnus’ road to recovery was definitely going to be long and hard, but Alec was going to be there for every second of it. He would never leave Magnus again; he would love him till the day he dies, and even after that.

There was a soft knock at the door and it opened, revealing his dad and sister. They walked in and stood on the opposite side of the bed.

“He’s really gonna be okay, isn’t he?” Izzy asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Alec nodded and looked down at Magnus’ resting form.

Magnus was going to be okay. Alec would make sure of it. His whole family would make sure of it.

“I’m going to get two officers positioned outside this door, and I’m going to work from here until he wakes up and after that too. I am not taking any chances for those fuckers to find him.” Robert stated matter of factly.

“I’m not leaving his side, dad. Do you think...would they let me stay?” He asked bashfully.

Robert was right; they couldn’t take any chances and Alec would die before he let anyone get to Magnus again-use him again.

“Yes, I’ll sort it out. I’m going to stay too.”

Alec nodded. It warmed his heart to know that his father would do everything to protect Magnus, just like Alec. In fact, he knew his whole family would protect him, because Magnus was part of their family, and the Lightwood’s protected what was theirs.

“It’s almost 8:30, I’m going to call your mother and the station to get Dylan here along will Will. I know for sure that they’re clear and not with Valentine. I’ll tell that nurse to not interrupt too, be right back.”

Robert walked out of the room leaving Alec and Isabelle.

“Are you okay?” She asked after a minute of silence.

“Yeah, why?”

“Just checking.” There was a few minutes of silence before she spoke again, “I hate to be the one to say this...but, what if he doesn’t want to come back with us?”

Alec gulped. The thought had definitely crossed his mind.

“You were the one who said to have faith, Iz. I have faith. I have faith in my love for him, in our love for him. We’re his family, and even if...even if he decides he doesn’t want to stay with us, none of that will change. We’ll always have his back; I’ll always have his back.” He was surprised by the confidence in his tone but he meant every word of it and Isabelle seemed to agree.

She took his free hand in hers and smiled at him, “I have faith too.”

***

Almost an hour had passed and Alec had stayed on that sofa the whole time, not letting go of Magnus’ hand.

Maryse had arrived with everyone else and they had all come in to see Magnus, who still hadn’t woken up. The nurse said that they stopped giving him the sedative so he would wake up within the next couple of hours and Alec was agitated and nervous to say the least.

“Alec, son, can I talk to you outside for a second?” Robert asked.

Alec looked up like a deer caught in headlights. It was a simple question, but it meant leaving Magnus’ side and that was something he couldn’t comprehend right now.

“Alec, honey, we’ll be here with him. No one’s going to get to him, don’t worry sweetheart.” Maryse reassured and Alec hesitantly nodded before getting up and letting go of Magnus’ hand for the first time since he’d walked in.

His legs felt stiff from being sat down for so long but after a few steps, he began to walk normally and followed his father outside.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Alec replied.

“You’re looking very pale and your leg wouldn’t stop shaking in there.”

“I’m fine dad.” Alec brushed him off.

“No, Alec, you’re not. What’s wrong?” Robert pressed on further.

“I just-nothing.”

“Alec...”

Alec sighed before speaking. “What if...it’s just something Izzy said earlier and it keeps bugging me more than ever now.” He admitted bashfully.

“What did she say?” Robert placed a hand on Alec’s shoulder to get his attention again as his gaze had dropped to the floor.

“What if he doesn’t want to stay with us anymore? What if he...what if he doesn’t want to stay with me anymore?” it stung to say that out loud, but insecurities were a horrid thing and they ate any inch of happiness away once they were implanted in your mind.

Robert fished his hand into his pocket and pulled something out, placing it in Alec’s hand.

The Omamori charm.

“Alec, he had this in his hand when I found him. He was out cold but his grip was strong around this charm. He’ll want to stay with you, with us.”

Alec looked up to meet Robert’s eyes again and there was something in them that convinced Alec he was telling the truth, that Magnus wouldn’t leave them and wouldn’t leave Alec.

“And I want you to promise me something.”

“What?”

“I guess we were all caught up in trying to find Magnus that we didn’t notice it, but you’ve been slipping, Alec. You haven’t eaten or slept properly in weeks and I know it’s because of Magnus. But he’s here, he’s safe. We’ll keep him safe, so don’t slip away okay? Magnus wouldn’t want that for you.”

Alec nodded, keeping his gaze locked on his father’s, “Yeah, dad, I promise.”

“Good, now I’m gonna call and see where those officers ar-“

“Alec?” A familiar voice interrupted them.

Alec turned to see Sebastian and something about that angered him. Even though he had been nothing but kind the previous day, his presence here, right now, was completely unwanted and uncalled for.

“What are you doing here?” Alec asked, trying to sound polite but he knew he was failing by the look on Sebastian’s face.

“I, uhm, when he went missing, I told one of my nurse friends to keep a look out in case she saw him in any hospital and she called to say he’d been bought in, I didn’t realise it was by you.”

“So you came to see him?” Alec asked in disbelief.

Sebastian had a flicker of panic in his eyes but it went just as quick as it came. “Uh, yeah, just to see if it was really him you know.”

Alec wasn’t buying it.

“Hmm, so why didn’t you call me if you thought I wasn’t here?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it wasn’t him.”

Fair point.

“Is he okay?” Sebastian asked after a few moments.

“Yeah, he will be. He’s not awake yet but he’s gonna be okay.”

“That’s good. I’m happy you got him back safe.” There was no sincerity in his voice, it seemed cold and distant and Alec hated it. He just wanted the fucker gone. “Well, give him my best and see you around.”

Sebastian turned to leave but Robert called after him.

“Sebastian, what was the name of your nurse friend?”

That panicked look came across his face again but just like before, it disappeared quickly.

“Uh, why?”

“Had it not have been us who found him, we may not have realised he was admitted here but she told you and you would have told Alec so we would have got to him quicker before someone else notified the NYPD. I want to thank her for that. She would have saved a lot of distress” Robert answered quickly, as if he had expected Sebastian to question him.

“Oh, right, yeah, uh Nurse Gray, Jessamine Gray.”

“Thank you.” Robert smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes but Sebastian didn’t seem to notice as he just nodded and turned away.

“I don’t think you should thank her dad. She was a bitch.” Alec said after Sebastian turned a corner.

“I wasn’t going to. Especially since she was the one looking after him along side Dr Carstairs. She said so herself that no family was allowed in and yet she called that fucker to tell him Magnus was here. He practically smelt suspicious and you’re right, she was a complete bitch.” Robert sounded angry, infuriated in fact. “You go back in and I’ll call the station and then sort her out.”

Alec nodded and smiled at his father before returning to the room.

* * *

 Sebastian roughly pulled Jessamine aside when he reached the bottom floor and glared at her angrily.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me that the fucking Lightwood’s bought him in?!” He demanded.

“I called you before I found out who bought him in, and then I couldn’t get free because I had to make sure to keep him sedated and you weren’t picking up!” She hissed back.

“Fuck, they can’t talk to him. He can’t wake up.”

She just scoffed. “Don’t you think I know that?”

Valentine was going to kill him. First, Magnus fucking escapes and then the Lightwood’s find him? He was gonna blow the whole cover. How could he fix this?

“You have to keep him sedated for as long as possible.”

“I just fucking took him off it, they’re not gonna let me keep him like that forever you know.”

“Fuck, how long till he wakes up?”

“Maybe an hour or so?” She shrugged.

“Shit...you have to get back in there and sedate him. Fuck, just make him comatose or something, I don’t care but you make sure he doesn’t wake up, or you’ll have me to deal with personally. You know,I can end that little fucker, what’s his name...Nathaniel was it? Especially since it was his sister that kept him this whole time, fucking traitor.”

She gulped but regained her confident posture a second later.

“Yes, I’ll do what I can.”

“Keep me updated.”

She nodded and turned towards the elevators and Sebastian left the hospital, preparing himself for the wrath of Valentine’s anger that was sure to ensue.

* * *

**Alec PV**

Alec had been sat on the sofa again, holding Magnus’ hand for 20 minutes or so.

Maryse and Isabelle had gone home to pack a bag for Alec and Robert since they’d both be staying with Magnus until he was discharged. Clary, Jace and Simon had work to get to while Cat, Ragnor and Raphael went to get some breakfast since they had all rushed here when they found out. Robert was still getting the officers here and sorting out his leave.

Alec had been staring at the charm for some time now and he couldn’t help but let the guilt flood him.

He’d failed.

He’d promised to protect Magnus, to care for him and here Magnus was, lying on a hospital bed after an attempt at his own life.

Alec had to do better...be better.

“I’m going to keep my promise this time baby; I’m not letting you get hurt ever again. I love you.” Alec whispered into the silence.

The door opened and Alec was expecting Robert, but was met by Nurse Gray and he couldn’t resist the scowl that instantly came onto his face.

She walked up to Magnus without so much as a look in Alec’s direction, let alone any words, and prepared some sort of injection.

Alec froze for a millisecond before reaching out and gripping her hand firmly just before the needle entered the cannula in Magnus’ hand.

“What is that?”

“Mr Lightwood...Mr Bane is a patient under the care of Dr Carstairs and he has advised me to administer this injection, so I suggest you remove your hand right this second.” She sneered.

“Mrs Gray, unless you want a law suit filed against you, _I_ suggest you step away from Magnus.” Alec ordered.

“Don’t make me call security.”

“Don’t make me call my father.”

She glared at Alec as if to challenge him, but Alec wasn’t buying her confidence. He knew he’d gotten under her skin.

“You will not bestow anything into him unless my father or I have consulted with Dr Carstairs.” Alec instructed and that seemed to do the trick as she moved her hand away.

“You’re playing a dangerous game here, Mr Lightwood.” She snarled.

“And I can assure you, that you’ll lose. Don’t think you’ve fooled me with your act of helping those in need wearing that uniform. It’s just a disguise to hide your conniving, bitchy ass and whatever you have going on with Sebastian, I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” Alec articulated confidently.

An antagonistic smile flashed across her face and she turned on her heel to exit, almost running into Robert who just glared at her as he let her pass.

“What was she doing in here?” He asked after closing the door.

“She was about to inject something in him dad, I don’t trust her and I told her if they were going to do anything to him, then you or I have to be here along with Dr Carstairs.”

Robert sighed heavily and sat down on the arm rest of the sofa. “You know I can’t do anything to her without evidence, so I’ll get Jace to do a run on her and Dr Carstairs just to be safe and we’ll take it from there. In the mean time, neither one of us leaves Magnus unoccupied.”

Alec nodded in agreement. He wasn’t going to let that bitch lay one finger on Magnus. “Do you think Valentine’s circle is that far extended that he’s got nurses and doctors on the inside too?” Alec asked dubiously.

“Truth be told, I don’t know anymore. But people will go to extreme lengths for money and Valentine seems to be able to offer that to just about anyone who’s willing to disregard their moral codes for a couple more thousand a month. It’s a sick and cruel world, Alec. This is much bigger than we thought you know?”

Alec just hummed in agreement. He couldn’t believe that even nurses and doctors would side with someone as corrupt as Valentine. It made him wonder how many other people with respected professions had done so, like lawyers and higher ranking law enforcers such as FBI agents.

This was definitely bigger than they thought and the person to help solve it was lying on a hospital bed, right in front of Alec.

There was a light buzz followed by a ping and Robert fished his phone out of his pocket.

“Ah, Dylan and Will are here, I’ll go get them from the entrance and clear their way to be stationed outside the door. Don’t leave him.” Robert said as he moved towards the door.

“Never again.” Alec responded without taking his eyes of Magnus.

The door shut softly behind Robert and Alec let out a deep sigh, resting his head on the bed beside his and Magnus’ locked hands. He let his heavy eyelids briefly fall; there was no doubt that he was unbelievably exhausted however they shot open no less than 10 seconds later.

“Alexander?” A croaky voice called out.

Alec stared straight into those eyes that he hadn’t stopped thinking about since the moment he found his bed empty that morning. Those golden green eyes that were still just as beautiful and radiant.

“Magnus.” He breathed out.

“You-you better really be here Alexander.” Magnus said as his eyes began to fill with tears.

“I’m here, Magnus. I’m right here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know it's a cliffhanger again and I'm sorry...sort of. I should really stop doing it, you guys don't deserve it :/ But at least he woke up! Yay for that?  
> Haven't really decided yet but next chapter might be the reveal for the truth behind Asmodeus' death so stay tuned and see you tomorrow (hopefully). :D  
> <3 <3


	20. Lucky Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus wakes up and he and Alec have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so no insight to the whole ordeal with Asmodeus' death in this chapter...sorry. But it'll come soon :)  
> Thanks for reading and commenting and kudos-ing! Love you all <3  
> Also, I couldn't help with the little Teen Wolf line, it just happened to fit, so high five to any of you who pick up on it!

**Magnus PV**

Magnus could hear a faint beeping in the distance that seemed oddly in time with his heartbeats...that shouldn’t be there.

Since he’d passed out from the blood loss and pain, he’d witnessed a multitude of scenarios that he assumed were just his brain playing tricks on him until he’d be fully gone and no longer existing.

He’d pictured him and Alec walking hand in hand by a lake and sharing sweet kisses; them lying in bed cuddled close together with Chairman Meow; cooking and baking like they used to; sitting with Alec’s family and belonging there. It was all so tempting and felt incredibly real but he was pulled out from it constantly. The first when he felt strong arms lift him up and his wrists tied together in some fluffy, woollen material, then again when a soft, familiar hand had held his and stroked it sweetly, and then with this insistent beeping that wouldn’t seem to end.

It could have been minutes or hours since he had passed out but he couldn’t tell. Everything seemed to blur into one memory and though he knew what he had done, he wasn’t sure if it was effective with everything that followed.

Magnus’ whole body ached like it never had before, he felt like he’d been run over by a monster truck and it did everything good in the sense that it distracted him from the turmoil in his heart...but then it dawned upon him that he shouldn’t be feeling anything...he should be dead.

But there was this beeping, and this warmth of a hand holding his, and the loud pounding of what sounded like a heartbeat, and the almost silent cries and whispers that sounded so much like Alec that Magnus forced himself to blink his eyes open and...

There he was.

Alexander Lightwood’s dark, unruly hair was sprawled across the white bed sheet’s that Magnus didn’t recognise but he paid no attention to his surroundings because he was once again thrown into one of these mini fantasies and he knew he’d be pulled out of it all too soon, so he’d be damned if he didn’t savour it.

“Alexander?” Magnus’ voice was croaky, only confusing him all the more as surely his pre-death state should be happy memories and he’d be able to speak without sounding like a toad.

But then his whole mind went blank as Alec’s big, hazel eyes met his own tired ones.

It felt too real to be a fantasy.

Magnus was so enraptured by Alec’s eyes that he’d almost failed to hear the breathless “Magnus” that came from Alec’s lips.

This had to be real. But if it was...why was Alec here? Why was Alec holding his hand and looking at him like _that,_ as if he still cared about Magnus.

Magnus didn’t want to believe that it was real, because then if it wasn’t, everything would feel so much worse...but he couldn’t stop himself.

“You-you better really be here Alexander.” Magnus felt his eyes begin to fill with tears and his vision became blurry but he could still make out those hazel beauties staring right at him.

“I’m here, Magnus. I’m right here.”

And Magnus was too weak.

He let himself fall into the trap, let himself believe that Alec was there and that he cared, because Magnus was tired of fighting it and so his tears began to fall shamelessly, partly in relief for it feeling real and partly in fear of the moment he knew that would come where this whole thing washed away and everything turned to black.

He let out a muffled sob and Alec instantly perched himself on this unrecognisable bed, scooping Magnus into his arms as his tears also fell, dampening Magnus’ shoulder.

Magnus nuzzled into the touch that he had been desperate for, that he longed for over the last month and let himself be held before it all vanished.

He was so caught up in the embrace that he almost missed Alec’s whispered “I thought I was gonna lose you.”

He was about to question it but he heard the faint sound of a soft door click open and then promptly shut leaving a shocked Robert in the entrance of this room...that he still hadn’t observed.

“You’re awake.” Robert sighed and Magnus did not miss the hint of relief in it.

Alec pulled back and smiled softly at Magnus and it made his heart flutter as Alec’s hands cupped his face, his thumbs brushing away the tears from Magnus’ cheek.

Robert rushed to him and softly wrapped his arms around Magnus and the latter froze.

_What the fuck?_

“Uh...” Magnus breathed out.

“I’m going to get Dr Carstairs, I’ll be right back.” Robert planted a sweet kiss to Magnus’ hair and looked at him with a fond expression, lightly running his hand down Magnus’ cheek before leaving the same way he came.

“Dr Carstairs?” Magnus turned towards Alec who had that same fond expression.

“Yeah, he, uh, is the doctor that treated you.” Alec responded, taking Magnus’ hand back in his own.

Magnus briefly stared at their intertwined fingers before pulling away from the touch, leaving Alec looking hurt and concerned.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t get drawn in just to have it crash and burn when it faded.

Hadn’t he endured enough?

“Get out.” Magnus sniffed.

Alec looked at him in disbelief and his eyes watered with tears again.

God, how Magnus hated to be the reason for that...even if this wasn’t real.

“Please, I...”Magnus sighed and a single tear fell down his cheek, “I can’t let myself believe this is real.” He confessed, his eyes not meeting Alec’s intense gaze.

There was a silence that did nothing to ease Magnus and he wanted to shout, scream, cry and yell all at once.

Why was this happening to him?

“I’m not going, Magnus.” Alec stated firmly after a minute or two and Magnus looked up to finally meet his eyes. “This is real, I’m here, and I’m not leaving you.”

Magnus’ heartbeat rose to an unhealthy rate and he felt his skin burn with the rage that was building in him for the universe pulling this sick trick on him.

“IT’S NOT REAL!” He shouted and Alec flinched at the sudden outburst. “You’re not real” Magnus said a little more queitly as tears prickled at his eyes again and his breathing became erratic. “This is only gonna last another couple of minutes or so and then it’ll all fade, and I’ll be gone. I’ve been hurting so much, everything fucking hurts and I can’t...I won’t let myself believe it’s real for a few minutes in heaven because you’re just gonna leave and...” Magnus was struggling to breathe now, “...and then I’ll be left reeling once again over losing you in my dreams and I don’t think I can handl-“

Alec cut him off mid-rant and softly pressed their lips together.

The lips he’d ached for over restless nights and days, the lips that hadn’t touched his in a whole month, the lips he’d become addicted to after the first taste were brushing against his and Magnus’ shoulders slumped, his heartbeat and breathing became regular and every single worry, insecurity and fear in his mind vanished as did the pain.

It was all swept away by the kiss like a brush of the shoulder.

“Ho-how did you do that?” Magnus whispered against Alec’s lips.

“I...I uhm-I read somewhere that holding your breath can help stop a panic attack and...when I kissed you, you held your breath.” Alec confessed as if it was plain as day.

He cupped Magnus’ face in his hands and stared at him with determination and sincerity. “This is real, baby. You’re here, I’m here and this is all real. I’m not leaving you Magnus.”  Alec brushed his lips over Magnus’ once more and that did it.

Magnus believed him.

And in that moment, there was nothing on his mind but that fact that Alec was here, with him. He didn’t care for what had happened, their time apart, how he got to the hospital, why Robert was so affectionate earlier or what was going to happen in the next 10 seconds or next 10 years.

All that mattered was Alec.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t notice the extra presence in the room until someone else spoke.

“Mr Bane, how are you feeling?”

Magnus turned to face the man and he saw Robert just behind with that same fond expression and relief in his eyes and he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I’m okay” He said, and for the first time since he left Alec that night, he actually meant it.

“That’s great. Well, we won’t go into details right this minute as I’m sure you’d like to rest and catch up,” The doctor looked between him and Alec as smiled kindly before continuing, “but I’d like you to eat something, could you do that?”

Magnus nodded.

“Okay, well we have the cafeteria downstairs, feel free to order anything you fancy, though if you want something from elsewhere, I’ll be sure to pretend I didn’t see it.” A cheeky smirk appeared on his face. “Get some food and rest and I’ll come in to check on you later.”  And with that, he turned and left the three of them in the room.

“What do you fancy?” Alec asked and Magnus averted his eyes from the door to meet Alec’s again.

“Anything?” Magnus asked a little incredulously.

He hadn’t eaten properly this whole time because he had no reason to want to go on, no motivation to live...but now, here Alec was, smiling that adorable dopey smile and Magnus was content. He felt like he could finally breathe again, he could live again.

“Absolutely anything.” Alec assured with a little squeeze to Magnus’ hand.

“Fries.” Magnus decided instantly, because who doesn’t love fries?

“I’ll go get some.” Alec’s smile never left his face as he placed a small kiss on Magnus’ forehead and left the room to attend to Magnus random craving for fried potato shreds.

Magnus stared after him for a moment before turning to face Robert, who had now sat down where Alec was a mere few moments ago.

He didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t seem like it’d amount to the guilt Magnus felt and asking why Robert wasn’t angry at him seemed a little farfetched for a greeting, so he settled on the first thing that popped into his head.

“Hi”

Magnus inwardly kicked himself...’hi’... _really Magnus?_

Robert, however didn’t notice Magnus’ inner turmoil and smiled that same fond smile that Magnus was beginning to question...it was weird considering the situation and circumstances.

Magnus had practically destroyed this man’s trust in him and completely abused his endless kindness and yet here he was, looking at Magnus as if nothing had changed...here he was, looking at Magnus with love.

“Hi, Magnus” He whispered back.

Magnus clearly hadn’t realised how long they had sat in silence smiling each other because Alec had returned...with Catarina.

“Maggie!” She rushed to him and plastered his face with soft kisses before wrapping her arms around him loosely as if he was made of glass.

He wasn’t.

He pulled Cat closer into an almost bone crushing hug and inhaled her perfume as he nuzzled his face into her neck, fighting back tears.

“I’m so sorry, Cat.” He apologised.

She smiled and held him at held him at arm’s length away with her hands on his shoulders. “You can apologise with your sorry ass later, for now, just tell me you’re okay?”

Magnus nodded and smiled back before noticing Alec standing behind her with a tray full of fries...seriously, the whole damn thing was full enough to feed a family of 8 just on fries.

That didn’t stop him from making grabby hands towards them though.

Alec chuckled softly and God how Magnus had missed that sound that was like music to his ears. He placed  the tray on Magnus’ lap and perched himself on his knees right by the bed, his elbows resting on the white sheets and his head resting atop them as he stared at Magnus with that adorable smile once again.

“Ragnor and Raph are here too but we didn’t want to overwhelm you.” Cat bought him out of his daze of staring at Alec. “Actually, everyone was here. You really scared us Maggie...” She trailed off.

Magnus stared at the fries in his laps and gulped. Was he meant to apologise? He wasn’t sure why he didn’t know what to say. He felt bad for leaving his friends, no doubt about that, so it was expected that they’d have been scared...but Alec and his family? That was still shocking. He’d fucked up big time and yet here they were, happy that Magnus was okay... _relieved_ that he was okay.

He didn’t know how long he had stayed silent for but the huge yawn that sprouted from his lips seemed to bring everyone back from their thoughts.

“Have your fries and get some rest Magnus, we’ll be here when you wake up.” Robert spoke up and glanced towards Cat who seemed to understand as she kissed Magnus forehead and smiled, Robert doing the same, before they both walked out of the room leaving Magnus and Alec alone with the Godzilla of fries still in his lap.

Alec made no move to get up off the floor and he was still resting his head on his elbows, staring at Magnus with the same smile.

A silence enveloped them as Magnus ate. He had offered Alec some too but he just refused, so Magnus continued eating in silence. He knew they had a lot to talk about but he had no idea where to start and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out whether Alec was here because he wanted to be or because he was waiting till Magnus got better so Robert could press charges or something. It was stupid considering the way they’d been acting around him but he couldn’t help feel anxious about it all.

Once he felt too full, he looked back at Alec who had _still_ not changed his expression or position and Magnus furrowed his brows.

“What?” He asked, trying to sound at least not as flustered as he felt under the intense gaze but failing miserably.

“I just-I’m so glad you’re back.” Alec admitted.

“Why?” Magnus couldn’t help himself from asking.

Alec sighed and rose to his feet, moving around the bed to perch himself on the sofa again as he took Magnus’ hand in his own. “I read your letter.” He stated, ignoring Magnus’ question.

Magnus didn’t say anything; he wasn’t sure what the correct etiquette in a situation like this was so he just stayed silent, staring at his and Alec’s connected hands.

“I completely understand why you did what you did, and I know I would have done the same had the situation been reversed.”

Magnus’ eyes widened and shot up to meet Alec’s that were filled with tears of regret and pain...Magnus hated to be the reason for that.

“You...you’re not angry at me?” Magnus asked hesitantly, feeling his own eyes sting up with tears once again.

Alec shook his head vigorously, “Of course not. I just wish...I wish you hadn’t left.” He said staring straight into Magnus’ eyes with such honestly that Magnus was at a loss for words.

“That morning...it was hell. And everything that followed was hell, until you woke up here, with me. I’ve been losing my mind trying to find you. We all have...and I couldn’t do anything other than look for you because Magnus I-I can’t live without you. I was heartbroken, not just because you left but because of what happened to you and your past and I hate that someone as amazing and wonderful as you had to go through that and...there’s so much that you don’t know and so much that was kept from you and we’ll explain everything, I promise, but right now I need you to know that I don’t hate you. This whole time I was going crazy because I couldn’t live without you and I can’t even imagine what you were going through because you thought...you _believed_ I hated you when in fact, it’s quite the opposite. I love you, Magnus. I love you so much that it scares me and I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I don’t want to. I need you, and there’ll never be anyone I love more than you because you are my whole life, my whole heart and soul and I don’t want to spend another second without you with me.”

By this time, both Alec and Magnus had endless tears streaming down their faces and Magnus couldn’t even comprehend what Alec had just confessed to him. He was listening intently to every word and he knew that everything Alec had said was important and he had millions of questions, but none of that mattered because Alec loved him.

Alexander _loved_ him.

Magnus knew there was nothing else to say except the final words he whispered to Alec that fateful night, the words he’d been so scared to say for fear of it being unrequited which couldn’t be further from the truth...so he pulled Alec close and pressed their lips together because at that moment in time, nothing was of importance except the simple yet undeniable fact that Alexander loved Magnus, and Magnus loved Alexander.

“I love you too...God I love you so much.” Magnus panted against his lips and Alec smiled before kissing him again.

“I have something for you.” Alec admitted with a whisper after he pulled back.

Magnus just hummed for him to continue and he watched as Alec fumbled through his pocket before pulling something out and placing it in Magnus’ hand.

Magnus looked to it and gasped.

“I made a promise, and I’m going to keep it Magnus, no matter what. You’ll always have me and you’ll never be alone.”

Magnus didn’t say anything, just clutched onto the charm with all the strength he could muster as a small smile crossed his face.

He knew they still had a lot to talk about and he definitely had a lot of recovery to get through, but right now, he was happy. Happier than he had ever been because he was with the person he loved, he was loved back and there were no secrets between them. Magnus was his true self, all flaws and imperfections out on display and Alec still loved him...still wanted him, and that was all Magnus needed in that moment to be convinced that this charm had in fact bought him luck and protection, because he had held onto it in what he assumed would have been his final moments but he had been found. He had been saved and returned to where he felt like he was loved and where he belonged...that was lucky indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo Malec! <3  
> I know they've got a lot to discuss and it may seem like a rushed reunion, but I wanted it to feel rushed because that's how their whole relationship was and they had held back from telling the other of their love for so long that when they both confessed it, I wanted them to have nothing on their minds except that...so I hope it didn't feel like a silly and anticlimactic end to a build up after so long and I hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless.  
> See you soon with the next one!


	21. Finally Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day passes and Magnus accepts everything that he'd been cautious of the moment he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said like two chapters ago that the truth behind everything will come but I didn't have time to write that big of a chapter today but I still wanted to post something so this is sort of a filler but I still liked the way it turned out and I'm glad I put it in. I hope you guys think the same!  
> Side note, your comments are seriously inflating my ego...not that I'm complaining :) Thank you all so much! <3

**Alec PV**

It had been about an hour and Magnus had fallen asleep while Alec hummed some songs to him. He’d never felt more content. Yes, the love of his life was currently lying on a hospital bed after an attempt at his own life, but after the month Alec had had, all those thoughts were pushed aside for the simple fact that Magnus was here, with Alec, and they loved each other. Nothing was going to ruin that moment.

He smiled softly at a sleeping Magnus, one of his hands intertwined with Alec’s and the other clutching the Omamori charm.

The one that had protected Magnus in his state of utter weakness, the one that had given him the strength to hold on for just those few minutes longer for Robert to find him.

Alec lifted his free hand and caressed Magnus’ cheek. He undoubtedly looked paler and it sparked worry within Alec, but he knew he didn’t look all that better and at least he knew Magnus loved him during their time apart, Magnus on the other hand thought Alec despised him and Alec knew if he was in that position, he’d definitely come to the same finality just like Magnus because life without him was no life worth living.

His hand froze at the upper left side of Magnus’ face and he cursed himself for not noticing it before. He’d been so caught up in the fact that he’d found Magnus and their declaration of love that he completely missed the bruise and patch of dried blood on his forehead.

Magnus’s eyes stirred open and Alec pulled his hand away, thinking he’d hurt Magnus.

“Sorry, you can go back to sleep.” He whispered.

Magnus however just smiled and pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed. “No, it’s okay.”

Alec knew he should probably wait till Magnus was fully awake before questioning it but he couldn’t resist, and anger was already boiling at the thought of someone hurting Magnus. “Mags, what happened to your head?” He asked as he cupped his cheek, tenderly stroking Magnus’ cheekbone with his thumb.

Magnus raised his hand that still held onto the charm to his forehead and hissed at the contact before his eyes darted wide open and he stared at Alec in fear. Magnus flinched at the touch and tried to pull away from Alec’s hands but no, Alec was not letting go.

“Baby, what is it?” He asked in a concerned tone.

“Sebastian.” Magnus said flatly, no emotion in his voice but his eyes were beaming with pain and worry.

“Seba-“ Alec attempted to repeat but was cut off by the door opening and Maryse followed by Isabelle rushing in.

“Oh Magnus, honey, we’re so glad to have you back sweetheart.” Maryse said relieved and kissed Magnus’ forehead, smiling at him fondly.

Isabelle did the same and Alec pulled back a little to let them talk to Magnus, he had to remember that though he probably suffered the most from his absence, he wasn’t the only one suffering.

His mind was whirling with what Magnus meant while his mother and sister talked to him, Alec standing by the window in silence observing the scene and lost in his thoughts.

He was promptly pulled from said thoughts as he saw the smile on Magnus’ face brighten. He had missed that smile so much. Izzy was telling him some story about an encounter between Raphael and Simon and Alec couldn’t help but smile at the interaction. He was so drawn to it that he didn’t notice how Robert had slipped into the room and both he and Maryse were now next to Alec.

“Alec,” His father said, capturing his attention as he averted his gaze from his sister and boyfriend, “I’ve got the two officers stationed on alternating shifts, Jace is doing a run on the doctor and nurse and I’ve cleared my absence and our staying here.”

Alec sighed in relief; at least some things were sorted.

Alec was about to speak but Robert yawned and he noticed how truly tired his father looked. Maryse picked up on it too.

“Honey, you haven’t slept all night and you’ve been working this whole time. Get some rest.” She ordered firmly.

“I can’t, we have to tell Magnus abou-“

“No, Robert. He’s here, he’s safe and we’re all going to make sure of it. You can’t let go of yourself too. Get some rest, Alec will stay with him and the others will come too. You can discuss this all later tonight.” She interrupted with a tone that suggested no room for negotiation.

Robert sighed as he moved to the large sofa in the corner of the room and Maryse raised an intimidating eyebrow.

“What?” Robert breathed out.

“You are not sleeping there, Robert. Get up, we’re going home and I’ll drive you back here myself. There are two stationed officers by the door, your son and daughter are more than capable of keeping him safe and I know for a fact that there are three of his friends sitting in the cafeteria downstairs who would gladly stay here with him.”

“Maryse, I can’t leave him here.” He retorted.

Her eyebrow rose even further and Alec was almost certain it might get tangled in her hair. And as much as he wanted to get the truth out in the open, he knew his mother was right. Robert couldn’t do this to himself and Alec was glad that Maryse was there for him since he was clearly too busy thinking of only Magnus that he completely missed the state of his father and his well being.

“Dad, mom’s right, you should go. We’ll stay here and you can come back later. I’m not leaving him, you know that and I’m sure he’d like to see Ragnor and Raphael too.” Alec chimed in.

Robert exhaled sharply but agreed nonetheless and moved towards where Magnus was sat.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked as he caught sight of Robert and Alec couldn’t help the little flutter feeling in his chest as despite everything, Magnus was concerned about Robert too.

“Yes, just a little tired. I’m going to get some rest at home but I’ll be back this evening.” Robert sounded truly upset by the fact that he was leaving.

“It’s okay. You should all get some rest; god knows how long you’ve been waiting here.” Magnus said and Alec immediately rushed to his side to knock some sense into his boyfriend.

“Magnus, we’re not leaving here...well dad is but he’s coming back. And then he and I are staying here until you’re discharged.”

Magnus looked shocked for a moment before he furrowed his brows. “You don’t have to do-“

“Yes, I do.” Alec interrupted.

It was a simple statement but there were so many underlying feelings behind it and Alec was relieved that Magnus seemed to understand that as he just nodded accepting it.

“I’ll see you later, Magnus.” Robert said into the silence that had enveloped them and he kissed Magnus’ forehead and ruffled his hair, Maryse doing the same before they both left.

“Ragnor and Raph are here, I can go get them if you want?” Isabelle offered and Magnus’ eyes lit up at the suggestion.

She laughed softly and left the two of them to get the others.

Alec noticed Magnus’ expression and for the first time since knowing him, he couldn’t read it.

“Are you okay?” He asked hesitantly as he perched himself on the edge of the bed, taking Magnus’ hands into his and kissing each knuckle.

“Yeah...I just-it’s overwhelming,” Alec frowned and Magnus seemed to notice this as he quickly rephrased, “overwhelming in a good way, I mean. I just, I didn’t think I’d have this again and it feels nice.”

“You’ll always have this, Magnus. You’re part of this family, you always have been and you always will be. We all love you...I love you.” Alec said before he kissed Magnus’ cheek.

There were some tears building up in Magnus’ eyes and even though Alec hated the thought of Magnus crying, he knew these were tears of happiness so he wasn’t as alarmed.

“I love you too” Magnus replied and pulled Alec to him, brushing their lips together softly.

Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus’ neck while Magnus’ own went around Alec’s waist holding him close as they kissed. Alec could feel a tear trickle down Magnus’ cheek as it was so close to his and he pulled back slightly, brushing them away with his thumb before pulling Magnus flush with his chest and rubbing his hands up and down Magnus’ back comfortingly.

“Shh, shh baby, it’s okay, you’re okay.” Alec soothed.

They stayed holding each other - even after Magnus’s tears had stopped - for what felt like seconds but was clearly minutes since there were was a distinct clearing of a throat that made Magnus and Alec jump apart and turn to face the amused face of Izzy, the relieved face of Ragnor and the everlasting unimpressed face of Raphael...but Alec could see the happiness in his eyes and it was heart warming.

Magnus smiled at them sheepishly and averted his gaze to his lap but was promptly startled as both Raphael and Ragnor pulled him into their arms.

No words were exchanged between them but Alec knew there didn’t need to be. Magnus was sorry and they both knew that, but they also understood his decisions and no matter what had happened, all they cared about was the fact that they had their friend- no, their brother back and Alec felt all tingly at the sight of his family...because that’s what they were, his family.

Just as they pulled back from the embrace, Cat strolled into the room with that dazzling smile and Magnus seemed to remember something as he gasped and turned to face her.

“What?” She asked at the sudden attention.

“I hope my cat didn’t die under your care.” He said with a teasing tone and Alec breathed out a laugh before speaking, cutting Cat off.

“Actually, uhm, I’ve been taking care of him...mostly. He’s been with us, as in-like we’ve all-we all-“

“Dios Alec, what’s so hard to explain?” Raphael interrupted and then turned to face Magnus, “we’ve been staying with Robert this whole time, all of us, including your cat.”

Magnus’ eyes widen and he looks between them all in confusion and also disbelief. “Really?”

Alec nods while Raphael hums and Magnus seems to accept it as he let out a cute, little huff.

“Alec, do you want something to eat?” Cat asked into the silence.

“Huh?” Alec was too busy watching Magnus and lost in his thoughts about how in love he was to hear what she said.

“Do you want some dinner?” She repeated.

Alec shook his head, not taking his eyes off Magnus’, “No, I’m good thanks.”

“Let me rephrase that then, I’m going to get you some dinner.”

Alec tore his gaze away from Magnus to look at her as she continues, “I’m pretty sure you haven’t eating anything all day, so, what do you want?”

“Alexander?” Magnus said as a question but also as if he was disappointed and concerned, “please, have something to eat.” He added kindly and Alec was sure that Magnus had noticed his extra paleness along with the weight he had lost over the past weeks. He really wasn’t hungry, and there was this burning need in him to not leave Magnus to do such mundane things, but then Magnus asked him and he never had been able to say ‘no’ so he just nodded and turned back to Cat.

“I don’t min-“

“I’d really love some pizza” Magnus cut in.

“Okay” Alec said without missing a heartbeat, “What kind?”

“I don’t really care, I just want pizza. You pick.” Magnus said after contemplating for a few seconds.

Alec nodded and pulled out his phone to place an order.

“They’re not gonna allow it here.” Ragnor pointed out while Alec was scrolling through a menu on an online app.

“The doctor actually said that if we wanted to order, we could, so shh my dear cabbage and let Alexander order.” Magnus answered playfully and Alec couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face.

***

The pizza arrived, as did Jace, Clary, Max and Simon and they all sat huddled in Magnus’ room eating and talking away. Despite the environment, it all seemed very normal and Alec noticed the way that his and Magnus’ gaze would lock and they’d smile fondly before returning to the conversation. It was perfect in an imperfect scenario and Alec wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jace had quietly pulled Alec aside to tell him that his run didn’t show up much. Dr Carstairs was completely clean and Jace was almost certain that he had nothing to do with Valentine. Jessamine Gray, however, did have some priors, nothing too alarming but that wasn’t the concerning thing. Apparently, her husband had multiple visits with the police for possession of drugs but each time he was bailed out...and the cost was far from moderate, so where was the money coming from?

It was very suspicious and Alec was adamant on getting the nurse changed for Magnus, because she was a bitch and he suspected her husband had something to do with Valentine and in Alec’s books, suspicion and bitchiness alone was enough for them to be untrustworthy.

His thoughts had constantly drifted to what Magnus was going to say about Sebastian earlier, and then the fact that Sebastian had seemed shady. He felt like he was missing a big piece of the information that was right in front of him in plain sight, but he just couldn’t pin point it. Each time he was distracted though, Magnus would squeeze his hand reassuringly and then he’d be pulled back into the bliss of being in love and just having Magnus back.

It was like a constant rollercoaster of emotional state and it was becoming tiring, so much so that by the end of the evening when everyone but Izzy had gone home, he’d fallen asleep next to Magnus on his bed, his head resting on Magnus’ shoulder and their fingers entwined.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus was feeling oddly content, despite being in hospital and still unaware and wary of everything around him.

It felt too good to be true, but deep down he knew it was real...that Alec loving him was real.

He couldn’t begin to understand why, and the fact that that love extended to everyone in his family was even more confusing. How they had all instantly accepted him even after what he did was completely beyond him, but he was not about to go complaining, because for the first time in forever, he was finally, truly happy.

All thoughts of Sebastian, of Valentine, of Sebastian and Alec together, of his father and his family and Imasu and Tessa and Camille and just everything was completely washed away when he was with Alec and his family.

Especially since now, he was part of that family.

He didn’t even think about anything else for that whole day. He knew they had to talk and that he had to tell Alec about Sebastian, and Alec himself had said that Magnus didn’t know a lot of the story either, but it could wait for tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted this, his family and feeling loved, feeling wanted for himself with no fake barriers or no lies.

He just wanted to bathe in the acceptance he’d received as Magnus Bane, his true self.

And now, Alec was sleeping soundly, his soft little snores resonating through the otherwise quiet room and it was adorable and endearing.

He had been combing his fingers through Alec’s hair and smiling at the sight and warmth of Alec’s body next to his, something he’d missed so much, that he hadn’t noticed Isabelle watching him intently.

“He was broken.” She said into the silence.

It was such a simple sentence, only three words, but they destroyed Magnus, because he knew he was the cause of that.

“That first day, he was so conflicted and he didn’t take a breather, not for one second. He lashed out at dad but then dad explained everything so I guess that didn’t last long. He was torn though, he didn’t admit it but I could see it in his eyes. He didn’t know what to feel towards you because he loved you yet he didn’t know everything, didn’t really know you fully.”

Magnus gulped, but stayed silent as she continued.

“Then, that next day, it was as if something changed in him, he seemed certain of what he wanted, which was you. For two weeks, they had nothing but empty leads as to where you were but then they got word from a cab service and they tracked your steps to Louisiana. After that, it was like he was heartbroken all again because he came to a dead end. Then he had some epiphany, I guess, and thought about you going somewhere from your past and asked Cat, Ragnor and Raph and they all said Houston. He was literally going to jump on a plane right that second to come and find you, he needed to find you. We all had to stop him to think this through because it was just a hunch, and clearly we were right, because you turned out to be here and dad found you shortly after and Alec would have never forgiven himself if he wasn’t here to get to you when you’d been found.”

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

“He didn’t eat much, or sleep for that matter. He didn’t go to work or school and all his hours were spent either roaming around the streets asking anyone if they’d seen you or at the station with dad chasing up leads. The worst thing was the drive here when dad called us though...I saw it. He had this look in his eyes that just told me that this was the final straw. I knew that if he found out that you had died; he would have completely lost himself and probably...probably given up too.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Magnus whispered as he felt the lump in his throat along with the tears threatening to fall.

When he’d left, he’d been so certain that it was the best thing to do and the right thing to do and that Alec would prefer it because he’d hate him...despise him for what he did to him and his family. After all, Magnus had used him to get to Robert, and no matter what feelings had developed immensely along the way, that fact was always going to be true. But he didn’t expect to know that Alec had been hurting just as much as him, had been aching and missing Magnus just like Magnus was missing him. He was an idiot for leaving, and he knew that now, but he didn’t know why Isabelle just divulged all of this information. If it was an attempt at making him feel better about going this far to end his suffering, she was doing a poor job. This only made him feel worse and shittier that he was the cause of Alec being like that. He was the cause of Alec slipping away and it was all unnecessary, because the whole time he thought Alec hated him, Alec had been searching for him because he loved him.

“I’m telling you because I can see you’re still doubtful and confused and you need to know just how much Alec loves you. He loved you way before you left, I could tell, I guess he just never told you and you never told him. But he really does love you, and he told me that he couldn’t live without you...I would normally say it was cheesy and sappy and pathetic, but I knew from the way he said it that there was no doubt in his eyes and it was one hundred percent true. He really can’t live without you, Magnus. So regardless of anything that happens, don’t push him away because you’re scared. He’ll love you no matter what. We _all_ will love you no matter what because you’re part of our family. You always have been and you always will be.”

Magnus’ tears were flowing freely now. That was quite a speech, and he didn’t know where to begin to respond to that.

They all showed so much love to him, so much love and acceptance and more than once Alec had said that Magnus was part of their family, but to hear it from Isabelle was something else entirely. He knew that he would subconsciously end up pushing Alec away at some point, but she flat out just exposed him about doing it, and told him not to. You would think that something as simple as being told not to do something wouldn’t work, but it did. In that moment, he promised that he wouldn’t let that happen. That he’d always fight for Alec and fight for the love he had for him, because there was not a sliver of doubt in his mind about Alec’s love for him. He was sure of that now, and he was not going to let it change even if life threw some absurd obstacle in the way. He was determined to outlive anything and everything that tried to break them apart because it was worth it...Alec was worth it and their love was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow with the reveal...hopefully! I'll try and write it to be ready for tomorrow and it'll most probably be quite a big chapter so be on the look out! (Apologies in advance if I don't get to it though)  
> Love you all! <3 :D


	22. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes out about Asmodeus' death and Magnus tells Alec and Robert his side of the story. Magnus also makes a decision about his future aspirations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here you have it! Finally, the truth! I don't know if I like this chapter though, I feel like I haven't delivered the whole reveal in a way that makes it seem realistic but it's out now and I hope you guys like it nonetheless.  
> <3  
> Side note, it's almost 2:30 in the morning here so please excuse any mistakes or errors. I have checked it but spelling has never been my strong point. I once misspelled 'purple' as 'purpul' at work, and then to top it off, I was organizing prescriptions alphabetically and somehow missed out the letter O. But we're getting off topic now, so ignore my stupidness...or laugh at it. I don't mind:)  
> Enjoy!

**Alec PV**

Alec blinked his eyes open and for the first time in over a month, he felt content with a warm body snuggled next to his.

_Magnus_

He turned his head and found a sleeping Magnus with his head resting on Alec’s chest and his arms wrapped around Alec’s waist.

It felt so damn good.

He hadn’t realised he was staring until someone cleared their throat and Alec looked up to see an amused grin on Robert’s face.

“Dad...uh, hi.” Alec stuttered.

“Good morning.” He replied, and proceeded to continue typing away on his laptop.

“Morning? What time is it?” Alec only just noticed that it was indeed daylight.

“Just gone 9, Dr Carstairs came in earlier but said he’d come back in an hour since Magnus was sleeping.”

Alec hummed but didn’t say anything after that. He must have fallen asleep last night when it was just him, Magnus and Isabelle. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it. He was meant to protect Magnus and there he goes, falling asleep.

“You’re thinking too loud.” Magnus mumbled and it startled Alec.

It took him a few moments to compose himself. “You’re no mind reader, Magnus.” Alec said with a playful smirk.

“I could be!” Magnus retorted and playfully added, “My expertise stretch over a _very_ wide range.”

Alec had nothing to say to that. Magnus definitely had many expertises and Alec would be a fool to doubt that, so he just smiled and pecked Magnus’ lips.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning” Magnus smiled back.

“Why don’t you boys get yourself ready and I’ll go get you some breakfast.” Robert chimed in and Magnus almost jumped out of Alec’s arms, having not noticed his presence.

Neither of them could reply to Robert though since he left before they even opened their mouths.

“Well, you heard the man, get your cute butt off my bed.” Magnus gently slapped Alec’s chest and Alec chuckled lightly before doing exactly that, but not without stealing a quick kiss.

***

Robert returned 15 minutes later after both Alec and Magnus had freshened up in the bathroom with two coffees, a tea and two servings of pancakes from a cafe that Alec presumed was near the hospital.

Magnus sat on his bed, munching away and sipping at his tea every so often. It warmed Alec’s heart that Robert knew Magnus preferred tea in the morning over coffee and Alec could tell Magnus appreciated it too.

“What’s everyone else doing today?” Magnus asked after he’d finished his food.

“Well, Maryse had to go to work to sort out something but she said she’d be here in the afternoon. Jace is at work, Clary and Simon have gone to Jocelyn’s, Maxie at school, Isabelle is down in the morgue working a shift, and Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael are at home...they thought it’d be best to come in after we’ve talked.”

Magnus seemed to tense up at that and Alec reached out to take his hand, squeezing it in reassurance making Magnus give a shy smile towards him.

“We don’t have to do it now if you’re not ready.” Alec whispered. He wanted to make sure Magnus was comfortable, there was no doubt about that, but Alec really needed him to know the truth, and he wanted to know Magnus’ side of everything too.

“No, I’ll be okay. I need to know.” Magnus affirmed and Alec nodded, turning to face Robert who stood up and bought one of the chairs closer to Magnus’ bed to sit on.

They all stayed in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing where exactly to start, until Robert finally spoke up.

“Your father and I, we were actually very good friends.” He started and Magnus’ eyebrows rose.

“You were?” Magnus asked incredulously, and though he said it almost flatly, Alec could tell it was killing him inside to just talk about this, so he planted a soft kiss to Magnus hand and began to rub small circles on the back of it with his thumb.

“Yeah, he was a, sort of consultant I guess. Or a private investigator.”

“A private investi-“

The door opened just then and Magnus paused to see who had entered.

“Magnus, how are you feeling toady?” Dr Carstairs asked with that ever present kind smile.

“I-I’m okay, thank you.”

“Good, that’s good. Well, since we didn’t discuss anything yesterday, I’d like to get you up to date. It’ll only take a few minutes.” He seemed to know he had interrupted something and was hesitant to pursue but Magnus nodded and that reassured him.

“Right, well, you had to have a blood transfusion since you lost quite a bit of blood. There won’t be any permanent damage apart from scars so apart from that, physically, you will heal. I will however, pay close attention to your weight. I was considering admitting you, but I’ve noticed that you’ve eaten so I’m going to put that thought on hold as long as you can keep it up, so I’ll monitor that closely but not take action. I highly suggest seeing a therapist and I’d be more than happy to recommend unless you have any one in specific. I also know that the holiday’s are coming up and that you’d like to be with your family so despite the severity, I know you’ll be in good hands so I can discharge you on the 23rd. You’ll have to come in for regular checkups though, my secretary will sort that out before you leave, and that’s about everything.”

Alec knew that all of that was very important and though he did pay attention very closely, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts flicker back to the fact that Magnus would get to go home in two days, and that he’d be home for Christmas. It made Alec feel all giddy inside.

Magnus clearly seemed a little loss for words so he just nodded, smiled and then thanked the doctor.

“You’re very welcome. I’ll let you guys be but you know to just press that button right there,” He pointed to a button on the wall, “if you need anything and the nurses will come in every couple of hours to make sure everything’s good.”

Robert thanked him, shaking his hand before he left.

“Are you okay?” Alec asked after a moment.

“You know, I probably should be a little worried about what he said, but surprisingly, I’m not. I’m actually okay.” Magnus replied honestly and Alec couldn’t help but smile a little bashfully.

“You get to come home for Christmas.” He stated and Magnus looked up to meet his gaze, his eyes shining with happiness just like Alec’s.

“I do.” Magnus responded.

**Magnus PV**

He didn’t think he’d mean it when he said that he was, in fact okay, but he actually was okay. He got to spend Christmas with Alec, with his family, and anything else didn’t matter.

Of course, they still had to talk, and so Magnus averted his eyes from Alec’s beautiful hazel ones to turn to Robert, who actually looked just as happy about the fact of Magnus being discharged soon.

“A private investigator?” Magnus prompted and this seemed to shift the mood as Robert’s expression became sterner as he continued with what he was saying earlier.

“Yes, I was working on a case in 2010; the whole precinct was actually, against Valentine Morgenstern. We didn’t have much on him though and I seeked out your father.”

“Why would he be able to help?” Magnus asked.

“Well, a friend of mine recommended him; apparently he helped them on their case against someone who was attacking tech companies in early 2009. So I sought him out, and he was reluctant at first, but then once he realised what Valentine was doing, he agreed to help dig up dirt, so to speak.”

“I didn’t know he helped the police.” Magnus admitted, more to himself, as he looked down to his lap.

He and his father shared everything, why wouldn’t he have told him that?

“It was about 6 months that we were working together and I got to know him over those months and we actually became quite good friends.”

“Why didn’t you know about me then?”

“Well, that’s one thing he didn’t share about himself...his family. And I can understand why because they got Halley. He told me about her after she’d been taken and told me about your mother. Just that she was called Irene. I suspected Halley’s disappearance was Valentine’s doing and told your father to stop with helping us, but he was adamant because he wanted to get her back and make sure Valentine couldn’t cause any more pain to any other family. So I foolishly let him.”

“My dad was always stubborn.” Magnus confessed. He could see that some guilt was beginning to appear on Robert’s face and Magnus wanted to say it wasn’t his fault, but he personally knew that being told that never changed anything. You had to come over these things yourself.

“Well, after that, he continued and he actually built up a mighty case file. There was enough evidence in there to get Valentine at least 15 years, and I knew more would come out during trial. But then somehow Valentine found out, and that’s when I suspected that some in the force were conspiring with him because there were only a few people that knew about your father’s work into the case.”

Magnus felt a pang in his chest, he knew all too well that there were traitors working among them and he immediately thought of one particular mole. “Hodge, he’s one of them.”

“Yeah, thank you for that. After you left that information, I knew you wouldn’t have been lying and I’ve kept him out of all of this but he doesn’t suspect anything. We can’t exactly accuse him without any evidence.” Robert sighed, clearly pissed off about that detail.

Magnus turned to look at Alec, who was just sitting silently and listening to Robert like he’d heard it countless times now, but still observant. His hand was warm and comforting, as were the little circles he was rubbing along Magnus’ hand with his thumb, it was keeping Magnus very grounded and he knew that no matter how this talk ended, he would have Alec there with him.

“So what happened after that?”

“Apparently, your father was working on some tech and Valentine caught wind of it somehow and he wanted it. I’m not sure what it was but I’m guessing something that could be used as a weapon. He said he created it by mistake, but I didn’t have much time to question it.”

There was a distant look in Robert’s eyes and it made Magnus’ insides curl up because he knew why Robert couldn’t question it...by that time, his father was dead.

He knew he should be feeling weird about talking like this with Robert, especially regarding this topic, but he could tell that there was something that he had missed and that Robert wasn’t a bad person, so there was a reason why his father had died that night. And Magnus needed to know that reason.

“I had planned to meet him in his cabin that day and when I got there, someone had already broken in. I rushed to the basement and he was...he was dying.”

Magnus sucked in a breath and felt the familiar sting of tears in his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You read the file in the safe, right?” Robert asked and Magnus nodded. The safe that was locked with a combination that was the date of his father’ death. Magnus had though it was sick when he realised that, but now he saw that it was anything but that. Robert was mourning, he missed Asmodeus...blamed himself in fact. It was breaking Magnus’ heart to see.

Magnus began to wonder what that had to do with this all, until it clicked.

_Oh my God._

“Poison.” He stated simply.

 Robert looked up to meet Magnus’ eyes and nodded slowly, as if admitting it only made it all the more realer making the pain all the more unbearable.

“It’s still unidentifiable and not many people believe it’s even his method because it’s so absurd, and it passes off as natural causes because the poison inflicts multiple symptoms, but he was in so much pain, I could see it and-and I had no idea how to help.”

Magnus knew where this was going. He felt like an idiot for not realising it before.

“I didn’t know that there was security footage of it all, but I’m glad they didn’t pick up sound because otherwise Valentine would have found out your connection a lot quicker, and I wouldn’t have been able to have done anything. When he was-he was lying there, and he told me to record our conversation. I didn’t know why, but I did it anyway. I would have done anything at that point, one of my closest friends was dying and there was literally nothing I could do to save him.”

Silent tears were falling down Robert’s face now and Magnus wanted to have that release too, but it felt as if he was being blocked by something. As if he needed to hear the ending to finally be able to let it all out.

“I-I have it...the recording I mean.”

And then Magnus froze.

“Mags, baby you don’t have to listen to it.” Alec spoke up as he cupped Magnus’ face in both his hands and softly stroked along Magnus’ cheekbones.

What was he supposed to do?

It didn’t take much consideration or debating though. There really was only one thing to do.

“I wanna...can I-I need to listen to it.” He stuttered and Robert nodded as if he’d been expecting that answer.

He stood and went to his bag that held his and Alec’s clothes for the next few days and pulled out a flash drive.

Magnus almost wanted to laugh at the full circle of it all. He had stolen evidence and put it on flash drives and here was Robert, the man he’d stolen from, with the real, worthy evidence on a flash drive of his own.

Robert plugged it into his laptop and placed it on the bed so Magnus could hear.

It was incredibly muffled and he almost combusted when he heard his father’s voice. He hadn’t heard it in 7 years. It was strangled, and he definitely sounded like each syllable was casing immense pain but he went on anyway.

_“I-I’m so-rry, Robbie. Threat-to hurt Ire-Irene...Halley”_

There was some shuffling and then Magnus could make out Robert’s voice.

_“It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t- I should have never made you do this. Fuck, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”_

Robert sounded panicked and like he was crying, which he probably was.

_“No. Sh-shh.”_

There was a long pause before anyone spoke again.

_“Lap...top-ta-take it. Maggie ca-can fix...Magnus”_

Magnus heart skipped a beat.

_“Magnus...will fix...call Irene”_

_“I will, I’m-I’m so sorry Asmodeus, you don’t deserve this. I-I shouldn’t-“_

_“Shh, it...ok...please he...help me”_

Magnus heard the sound of metal hitting the floor and he knew it was about to happen.

_“Asmodeus, I ca-I can’t do it.”_

_“Ple-please Ro-rob. Please.”_

Asmodeus sounded further away then and Magnus assumed that Robert had gotten up from where he had previously been next to his father.

_“I’m so sorry.”_

Robert’s apology was the final verbal communication and Magnus knew this was it. Robert reached out to stop the recording from playing but Magnus grasped his hand firmly.

He needed to hear this. It was the ending, and it was final. In the most messed up way, it was closure. He would know his father hadn’t died by ‘natural causes’, hadn’t been murdered out of spite or hate, but he had been protecting this city and protecting his family.

It hurt like a bitch to hear that gunshot, but Magnus almost felt relieved.

Seven years.

Seven, whole, fucking, years.

And this was it. The beginning to finding peace with what had happened. It was out in the open, and though there were still questions floating in his head and still so many worries about it all, the worst part was over. And it felt really, _really,_ good to know the truth.

“Valentine had gone to him, and forced him to delete the evidence by threatening to harm your mother and sister, who he had taken. I’ve never stopped looking for her to this day, but still nothing. I called Irene, and it was the worst conversation I’ve ever had. I could barely get my own words together, but I managed to tell her and she said she was in New Jersey but would come back right away...and then the car crash happened. I-I suspected it was Valentine, but I’ve never been able to prove it. The records never showed you were in the car, it was like-as if you didn’t even exist, and that’s how I didn’t know who you were. I took the laptop and I’ve kept it hidden ever since, and I tried to figure out who ‘Magnus’ was and where to find him, turns out he came to me in the end.”

“What about the police? Why-why did they cover it up?”

“It was an open investigation, and we just found out that people were working for Valentine from within and we had no idea who to trust. The captain at the time had said to keep it under wraps because your father wasn’t officially a PI, even though he was the best in the state at it, and if word got out that a cop shot an innocent man, it would have caused widespread panic. I wanted it to get out though, I-“ Robert paused and looked to Alec before quickly averting his gaze again, “I wanted to be punished for it. I know I helped him out of his pain, and it would have been a lot considering it can last up to 6 hours, but I was the one who got him in the position, and I broke the whole family...your family Magnus. I’m so sorry, I didn’t think that all this could have happened and I’m so sorry that it did, you don’t deserve it.”

Magnus took one of Robert’s hands and squeezed it, giving a sad smile too. “I don’t blame you. You did what you had to do, and none of it was your fault.”

Magnus really didn’t blame Robert. He forgave him even before he knew the truth, because he saw that Robert was a good man and a good father. Now, with the truth, it was even more evident and Magnus really didn’t want Robert to blame himself about this.

They all sat in silence for a couple of minutes, each stuck in their own thoughts.

Magnus knew he should be feeling an overwhelming mixture of emotions, but it all felt like it was expected and he wondered why he hadn’t suspected it before. Asmodeus was a good man, Robert was a good man and Valentine was a bad man. It seemed pretty self explanatory to understand what had happened.

The only real questions Magnus had were why didn’t he ‘exist’ why his father had entrusted him with fixing this.

How was he supposed to do that?

Whatever it may be, Magnus knew he couldn’t let his father down. He couldn’t let Robert down or Alec even. But most importantly, he couldn’t let himself down. This was something he just had to do...even if he didn’t know what exactly it was that he had to do yet. He’d made enough mistakes and wasted enough time, and he’d been used over and over by some sick bastard with a sick agenda, and if he could help to get that man locked away, he would do it.

He had to do it.

**Alec PV**

Alec had stayed pretty silent during the explanation because he wanted to watch Magnus’ reactions and make sure he was okay, and to his amazement, Magnus actually seemed okay. Not in a sense that he didn’t care about his father, because that was far from the truth, but in the sense that he could accept it and after all this time of not knowing what had happened, finding out the real story was relieving in a way and felt like closure.

Alec was happy that Magnus could find closure.

He still, however, had a few questions of his own and so when the silence had lasted long enough, he spoke up.

“What were you going to say about Sebastian yesterday?”

Magnus seemed to tense immediately and Alec reached out to cup his cheek, which Magnus relaxed at if his shoulders slumping slightly was anything to go by.

“He works for them, and pretty high up too.” Magnus said flatly, devoid of any emotion.

Both Robert and Alec however almost jumped out of their seats.

“What? You mean-Sebastian? As in, _Sebastian_ , who I know, works for Valentine?” Alec spluttered.

Magnus sighed heavily before explaining.

“When this all started, he was the one I met first. He showed me the video and I agreed to it because I was angry and obviously didn’t know the truth. I then found out that apparently he got close to you for the same reasons but failed, I guess, when you stopped talking to each other. I should have wrote in the letter who he was, but I forgot about it and wish I hadn’t, even more so now because-“

Magnus cut himself off and Alec frowned. “Because what?”

“Well, when I got back to New York, they showed me...pictures, of you two together and you looked really happy and they rubbed it in my face that you were together, and me being the idiot I am, I believed it because I was hurt and I thought you’d hated me so it sort of made sense. I know now that it’s not true though.”

Robert looked at Alec accusingly and Alec stumbled over his words to form an explanation. He couldn’t believe it, but then he also could. Sebastian had definitely seemed shady yesterday.

“It was the night before we found you; I went for a run and he approached me and asked about you. Being all sympathetic and stuff, I didn’t buy it though, but he asked if I wanted to go do archery and I needed the distraction so I went, and then he drove me home because it was really far away. I didn’t know someone was taking pictures and I understand that it may have looked like I was happy but that wasn’t because I was with him, it was because I had like a mini epiphany of where you might be and I got happy at the thought of finding you. I love you Magnus, and I would never, ever be with anyone else, especially not a twat like him.”

Magnus chuckled softly and it was nice to hear it considering the recent tone of the conversations. “I love you too, and I know you wouldn’t. I guess they just hit me in my weak spot and I fell for it at the time.”

“I always hated that little fucker.” Robert grimaced.

“Is he the one that hit you?” Alec asked, remembering noticing the bruise yesterday.

“He _hit_ you?!” Robert exasperated before Magnus could answer Alec’s question.

“Yeah, he uh-you were right, Alec, I went to Texas.”

Alec’s breath hitched. He _was_ right.

“But then, how did you end up here? What did you do there? How-where did you stay?” Alec blurted out.

“I-uhm-drank, mostly. It stopped me from thinking about you and made me forget the pain.”

Alec felt a pang in his chest at that.

“I was at this bar one night and I had too much too fast, but now I think someone drugged me, or was meant to anyway. There was this guy, uh, Elias I think his name was. Anyway, apparently I went back with him and passed out then in the morning he threw himself on me, but I swear, nothing happened. I hit him on the head with a lamp and bolted and then ran into the bartend- fuck.”

Alec was too busy thinking about this fucker, Elias. What a fucking little shit. He trusted Magnus, and if Magnus said nothing had happened, he believed him. It still hurt a little, but the anger towards the douchebag outweighed the pain. He didn’t even realise Magnus had stopped talking until Robert chimed in.

“What about the bartender?”

“Tessa...Tessa Gray. She, that night, I spoke to her and she told me to slow down, but I didn’t, and then the next day when I ran away from that guy, I bumped into her and she took me to hers and looked after me. But then, Sebastian turned up when she was out and he knocked me out, and the next thing I know, I’m on a plane back to here. But, she cared for me when I thought I had no one and she will be worried sick! I don’t even have her number; I need to call her, to tell her I’m okay.”

“Magnus, it’s okay, I’ll get the details and let her know. I should thank her personally for being there for you and looking out for you.”

“Thank you.”

“What happened when you came here?” Alec asked.

“Well, they bought me back here and I met Valentine, he ask-“

“You _met_ Valentine?” Robert chocked.

“Yeah, he wanted me to work with him-for him. That’s when they showed me the pictures of you and Sebastian, and they said all this crap about how you were looking for me to put me in prison and you all hated me and I bought it because I didn’t know better. He threatened you all, your whole family, if I declined the offer and said he’d give me some time to think. They sent me to some room and then-“

“Then what?” Alec pushed, heartbeat rising in fear at the thought of what Magnus had gone through, especially now since tears were forming in Magnus’ eyes.

“Halley...when she went missing, there was this guy, Imasu, and he was there...he works for Valentine now. He...he told me he raped her and killed her.”

Everyone went silent after that, but Alec could feel the pain emanating from Magnus and the fury from both Robert and himself.

“I don’t-I didn’t know if Valentine was the one who made him do it, I didn’t think to even question it then, but it makes sense now.” Magnus said, so quietly that Alec’s heart broke because he could hear how hurt Magnus was.

“How did you get out?”

“This girl, Camille-“

“Belcourt?” Robert interrupted.

Magnus raised his eyebrows and looked towards Robert. “Yeah, you know her?”

“No-well yes. We were getting letters from Valentine saying he knew where you were and asking for the laptop, and we figured out that Camille got some postal delivery guy to deliver the first package and letter and we’ve been looking for her since, but nothing yet. Why did she help you?”

Magnus got a little stiff at the question and looked down to his lap...Alec knew that wasn’t a good sign.

“She was my ex, I met her when I was in MIT and we-“

“You went to MIT?” Alec marvelled.

“Hmm, I graduated first in my class with a degree in Computer Sciences.”

Cat had told Alec that Magnus was 24 and that he’d already graduated but they never talked about where, and Alec couldn’t hide his pride and astonishment at the fact that his boyfriend went to fucking MIT.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Alec smiled and kissed Magnus’ cheek softly, making Magnus blush.

It was a rarity, but Alec loved it.

“He’s not wrong.” Robert said and that made Magnus blush even more...it was goddamn adorable.

“Anyway, uh, Camille. We dated for a bit but it was toxic, I thought I was in love with her blah blah, but in the end I broke it off and never saw her again until the day Sebastian reached out to me. She was there, and apparently she was the one that told them that I exist, and my connection to Asmodeus and they blackmailed me and you know that part. But I noticed her changing over the month and she was actually helping me. And she-she came in that morning and...she had killed Imasu who was watching over me to make sure I didn’t escape I guess. I can’t believe she killed him...”

Magnus paused for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts.

“She rushed me outside of the building and told me to run away, and that whatever Valentine was planning, it was bad and they needed me and so I couldn’t be there. She mentioned a friend of my dad’s telling them about the laptop and that’s how they found out, but I didn’t have time to ask her about it and I got the hell out of there. That’s when I went to the cabin and...yeah.”

“She gave me the charm though,” Magnus added looking up to Alec, “I lost it, and she said she found it in Elias’ room and gave it to me along with some money to get away. I knew we fell apart and she wasn’t a very good person, but what she did for me...I wouldn’t have got out of there if it wasn’t for her.”

Silence envelopes them once again until Robert clears his throat.

“Where was it? The place that they took you?”

Magnus looks puzzled for a moment. “I-I don’t really remember. It, was somewhere near the Hudson River. I remember the first place they took me, but not so much the second.”

Robert nods in consideration. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. We can figure it out later.”

“I-I’m...thank you.” Magnus whispered after a while and both Robert and Alec frown.

“For what?” Robert asked.

“For-for not hating me? I guess. I-after what I did to you, you’ve still showed nothing but kindness.”

Alec was about to speak up but Robert beat him to it.

“Magnus, we could never hate you. It wasn’t your fault and you had every right to do what you did. You were hurting and that video was very convincing, I know I would have done the exact same in that situation. You deserve happiness and love, and I am more than willing to offer that, we all are, because you belong with us. It’s my fault you’re in this position in the first place and it’s the least I can to.”

“Thank you,” Magnus breathed out. “I know I lost a lot, and you’re not to blame for that, but it led me to you guys. I lost my family, and they’ll always remain in my heart, but I found a new one, and I love them all.” He added with a small smile.

Alec couldn’t stop his heart from pounding like a maniac. This whole time, he’d had to reassure Magnus that he belonged here and that everyone loved him, but this was the first time Magnus had said it on his own accord and it was heart warming, to say the least.

“We love you too, Magnus, to distraction.” Robert said with his own smile and Alec hummed in agreement, because it was true. They all loved Magnus, and nothing would change that.

“So what now?” Alec asked.

Everything was out in the open now, and there were no more secrets. Questions? Yes, but no more secrets, and that was a start. But what was the next step?

“Well, I guess we wait until Magnus comes home, gets settled and then we see what he can do with the laptop. Until then, be careful, make sure everyone stays safe and out of Valentines’ reach, especially the two of you because you’re his most valuable targets. I’ll call Tessa and let her know, and other than that, let’s celebrate Magnus being back and enjoy our Christmas. God knows we all deserve it.”

Magnus and Alec both smiled. That sounded like a good plan.

“Right, I’m going to call Jace to check in and go get some food.” Robert spoke as he stood up and kissed both Alec and Magnus’ forehead before exiting.

“How do you feel?” Alec asked, sliding onto Magnus bed and wrapping his arms around him.

“It’s a lot to take in, but I don’t feel as upset as before, because I know he was doing something to help others. He was trying to protect people...mom, Halley and me.”

“I’m really sorry, about Halley...and everything else too.” Alec whispered as he ran his fingers through Magnus’ hair.

“...I am too, and as sad and painful as it all is, I finally feel like I can accept it all, and actually do something about it. I want to help, I want to do something so that they didn’t just die for nothing, I want to help get Valentine locked away and anyone else after that. I think...I wanna do what your dad said that night we met, about working for the NYPD...”

Alec didn’t say anything right away, he let those words settle in and then it felt like the words just came naturally.

“I’m so proud of you, Magnus. I’ve never met someone so smart, strong, determined and kind and I’m so lucky to be able to call you my boyfriend. I think you’d be an amazing addition to the NYPD and we’ll all support you with that choice. I’m so, so proud of you baby, I love you.”Alec praised and captured Magnus’ lips in a soft, loving kiss.

“I love you too, Alexander. I love you so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo what do you think? Did you see it coming? I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you guys soon for the next chapter! Byeeeeee :D


	23. Strongest Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus returns home and the whole family spend the day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyoo. I would say this is a filler, but I think it's like the second longest chapter I've written so that wouldn't make sense. Mostly some fluffy stuff. It would be great if I could actually post these Christmas related chapters near Christmas, but that would be waaay too long to keep you guys waiting so let's pretend it's Christmas now :D  
> Enjoy the happy stuff while it lasts for the next few chapters and then I'll get back into the story line! <3  
> Btw, Max is 15 in this. I know it doesn't match up with ages but I just made him a little older.

**Magnus PV**

It was the 23rd of December now and Magnus was more than eager to get out of the hospital. He knew they’d helped tremendously and they’ll continue to help too, but he just wanted to go home so badly. He wanted to see Chairman, he wanted to enjoy watching movies snuggled on the couch, or family dinner’s around the table talking away, but most importantly, he wanted to start on uncovering his father’s laptop. He was beginning to grow impatient and he needed to know what was on it...what his father was working on.

Over the past two days, both Robert and Alec had stayed with Magnus in the hospital and it was extremely comforting to have them there. That nurse, Jessamine Gray, hadn’t attended to Magnus and it turned out, that she hadn’t been coming to work either so now Robert was looking for her as well as Camille.

Magnus had a feeling that something terrible was going to happen to her and he wanted to help, just the same way that she helped him. She saved his life, she gave him back his family and the love of his life, the least he could do is help her get out of whatever mess she was in.

Robert and Magnus had managed to figure out where they had held him captive and Robert got a warrant to search the building, but to no avail. They had already moved out by then and the building was left abandoned with no traces whatsoever.

They hadn’t been able to get a hold of Tessa either and Magnus was growing increasingly worried that Sebastian might have done something to her, but he was hoping that she was safe and alive and just unreachable. He needed to thank her too, she did so much to help him and if it wasn’t for her, he probably would have attempted what he did a lot sooner and might not have had the chance to be saved.

There were so many thoughts rushing through Magnus’ head but at the moment, the most prominent one was Christmas...more importantly, what to get for Alec. Everyone else had already been accounted for and he’d asked Cat, Ragnor and Raphael to collect gifts and sort out wrapping since he wasn’t able to do so...but Alec had been difficult to buy for. He wanted to give something special but he had no idea what. He had had many conversations with Isabelle and Maryse regarding the subject, but they had both stressed the point that Alec didn’t expect anything from him and that him being alive and his love was the most precious gift he could give. That didn’t stop him from searching on his phone –brand new, courtesy of Robert- for ideas upon ideas.  Magnus would have to rush his phone into hiding every time Alec would come back or start looking over to see what Magnus was doing...exactly as he was doing now.

“Will you stop being so nosy!” Magnus complained, though there was no real malice in his voice.

“I know you’re looking for a present for me, and you don’t need to Mags, you’re more than enough.” Alec said, but he still moved away to let Magnus continue his search.

“But I know for a fact that you’ve already got me something! You mean the world to me, Alexander, and I don’t need anything but you...so why are you still allowed to get me something and I’m not allowed to return the gesture?” Magnus asked raising an eyebrow.

“Baby, you haven’t had time to even think about Christmas and I don’t want you stressing over getting me something when you’re literally still sitting on a hospital bed.”

“But I love you and I wanna get you something.”

“I love you too Mags, but I don’t want you worrying over it.”

“Fine.” Magnus sighed heavily and went to put his phone away but his eyes caught something on his pinterest app and he immediately got an idea. He opened his texts and typed a quick message to Cat.

**M: Hello my Kitty Cat, could you do me a favour? Xx**

**C: Of course Maggie! Is it about Alec’s present? <3**

**M: As a matter of fact, yes...**

There was a soft knock at the door and Dr Carstairs entered with that kind smile on his lips.

“Good afternoon, boys. Magnus, how are you feeling?” He asked as he came over to the side of the bed and checked the monitors that Magnus and Alec had no clue about.

“Good thank you, I slept better last night so that’s a bonus. I’m ready to go home though.” Magnus chuckled nervously, hoping that there was no change of plans and that he could actually go home.

The bright eyes and dashing grin from Alec didn’t go unnoticed at Magnus’ use of the word ‘home’.

“That’s great Magnus! Okay, I’m still going to give you the sleeping pills just in case, only take them when you deem it necessary. As for the anti-depressants, everyday please and Dr Emma Carstairs has managed to book you in on the 27th for your first session. I can assure you that she’s a great doctor, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my cousin.” Magnus smiled kindly. “I’ll have the nurse come in 10 minutes to remove the cannula and she’ll tell you when your next appointment with me is scheduled for and give you your prescription. After that, you’re good to go and enjoy the holidays!”

“Thank you so much, Dr Carstairs.” Alec thanked and Magnus nodded to agree to the gratitude.

“Nonsense, I’m glad you’re feeling better Magnus and I’ll see you soon. Have a good Christmas boys!”

“Actually, doctor, we would like to invite you to my parents’ house for our Christmas Party. We understand it’s a bit late notice and you might already have plans but we’d love for you to come and you can bring whoever with you.”

 **“** That’s very kind of you, Alec, I’d love to come.”

Alec nodded and scribbled down what Magnus assumed was the address and time before handing it over to the doctor with a smile.

“We’ll see you there.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, again.” He returned the smile and they said their goodbyes as he left the room.

Alec looked down at his phone as a notification came through. “Dad said he’s almost done sorting out the paperwork for you room and then he’ll be ready to leave too, so let’s get you dressed.”

Magnus only found out that Robert had paid for a private room the day before and he was not sure how to feel about it, but then he expected nothing less after his endless kindness and love. He didn’t want all that money wasted on him, but no argument would suffice and he eventually gave up, accepting that along with the new found fact that Robert had donated blood to him.

 _That_ was a big shocker.

And he was dumbfounded.

Saying he was grateful was a terrible understatement.

“You know I can get dressed on my own, right?” Magnus smirked.

“Okay, go for it.” Alec said and he plopped back down on the sofa, watching Magnus with an amused grin.

Magnus got up from the bed and moved to his bag of clothing that Cat had bought over yesterday. He pulled out black, skinny jeans and a grey hoodie, placing them on his bed and looking right at Alec, who was still staring at him.

“You’re such a perv, watching me like that.” Magnus teased as he moved to remove the hospital gown.

“You’re my boyfriend, I’m allowed to watch. Besides, you’re the one who refused my help so what else am I suppo-“ Alec immediately shot up from his seat and rushed to Magnus who winced as the gown caught on the cannula. “Are you okay baby?” Alec asked, concern in his voice.

“Ye-yeah, it just pulled on it a little but I’m okay.” Magnus assured but Alec wasn’t moving away, he was lifting his hands to help Magnus.

Alec pulled over the sleeve of the gown, carefully over his hand that still had the cannula before removing the rest of it and tossing it to the bed. He ushered Magnus to sit down and moved to get the jeans before pulling them up and Magnus shimmied them on, letting Alec do the zipper and button up.

Despite where his hands were, there wasn’t a lust or hunger, or anything sexual behind his movements, he was kind, caring, loving. It warmed Magnus’ heart. 

Alec scrunched up the hoodie to the neck of it before placing it over Magnus’s head, and then helping his arms through with the same carefulness as before. He kissed Magnus softly on the cheek once that was done and then tied converse onto Magnus’ feet that were already covered in socks.

“Thank you” Magnus breathed out once he was ready.

Alec cupped Magnus’ face, letting his thumbs caress his cheekbones and planted a kiss on his forehead. “You never have to thank me baby.”

Before Magnus could reply, there was a knock on the door and Robert followed by a nurse walked in. Alec pulled away from Magnus with one last kiss to his cheek and let the nurse remove the cannula from Magnus’ delicate hand. He winced slightly and there was a dull pain since it had been there for three days now, but it meant he could go home so he wasn’t complaining.

As soon as she left, Robert turned to Magnus with a wide grin. “Ready?”

“Definitely.” 

**Alec PV**

Alec opened the front door, allowing Magnus to go through first. They hadn’t set up some massive surprise party despite Izzy’s protests, simply because it was not needed and might be a bit too overwhelming. They decided on doing some house decorating and making homemade pizza in the evening as a welcome back and Alec knew Magnus would love it. For the time being though, the house was fairly empty aside from Jace who was sat on the floor at the coffee table working through what looked to be paperwork.

“Ahh you’re back! Welcome!” He exclaimed cheerfully and got up to hug the three.

“Alec, why don’t you take your stuff upstairs with Magnus and I’ll sort out the arrangements with Will and Dylan.” Robert said gesturing to outside where both officers were waiting in their squad cars.

Alec knew that his father was going to have them watch over the house since now that they were home; there was a higher chance of Valentine possibly going after them.

He nodded and took Magnus’ hand, leading him upstairs to his room. Magnus seemed a little vacant and distracted though so Alec sat him on his bed and kneeled on the floor in front of him, taking both of his hands in his own.

“Mags, what’s wrong?”

“I-nothing, it’s nothing.”

“Baby? You can tell me.” Alec pressed on.

“It’s just,” Magnus sighed heavily, “it’s just weird being back. Last time I was here I-I...” He trailed off and Alec cupped his face, looking directly at those golden green eyes that he adored so much.

“Magnus, it’s okay. No one is angry at you. You belong here, with us. This is your home as much as it is mine.”

“I-I know that, I guess, I just-I’m worried I guess.” Magnus stuttered and looked down to his fiddling hands in his lap.

“You have nothing to worry about baby, no one’s gonna hate you and no one’s gonna hurt you. We’re all going to protect you because we love you, so so much baby; _I_ love you so so much.”

Magnus nodded and let a single tear fall down his cheek. Alec hated seeing Magnus like this. So uncertain and so vulnerable. He hated seeing Magnus crying, or hurting. He wiped the tear away with his thumb and kissed Magnus’ closed eyelids, then his forehead, then both of his cheeks and nose before finally descending his lips onto Magnus’.

Alec pulled away and rested their foreheads together, letting the fact that Magnus was back at home sink in.

“Wait here.” Alec whispered between them and got up to move to the bean bag.

Over the month, he’d found that Chairman loved to wedge himself in between the bean bag and a chest of drawers near it. He was so small that Alec had searched the whole house for half an hour looking for him the first time he hid there.

He found Chairman, curled up, sleeping soundly and lifted him into his arms as he heard Magnus gasp behind him.

“Chairman!” Magnus made grabby hands and Alec handed him over, chuckling softly at the sight of Magnus being reunited with his little tabby. It was adorable and the smile that adorned Magnus’ face would have made Alec fall in love all over again if he wasn’t already so deeply head over heels.

“Alexander! How dare you?!” Magnus huffed and looked up to meet Alec’s gaze, there was a hint of teasing in his eyes though so Alec let out the breath he was holding since Magnus spoke. “You made our child fat!”

“I did not!” Alec retaliated, trying to feign hurt but failing miserably because everything was just too damn cute already and on top of that, Magnus just referred to Chairman as ‘our child’ and it made Alec’s heart flutter.

“Yes you did! Look at his cheeks! They’re covering his mouth and his face is just more smooshy, this is all your fault Alexander!” Magnus shook his head in disbelief but there was a little smile tugging at his lips.

“But he was just all puppy dog eyes and they always remind me of you and I’ve never been able to say ‘no’ to you so I couldn’t say ‘no’ to him. He took advantage of me! I was manipulated by him!” Alec protested, pointing at Chairman as if he had personally offended him.

“Don’t listen to your daddy; he’s just extra grumpy because he was out smarted by you, my handsome little boy.” Magnus cooed and Alec rolled his eyes but smiled anyway as Magnus held Chairman close to his chest, cuddling him tightly.

Chairman, who had woken up at the commotion, was now looking up at Magnus and nuzzling his head into Magnus’ gentle touches while purring softly.

“Are you hungry?” Alec asked after a couple of minutes of silence, just watching Magnus and Chairman.

“Not really. But I’d love some tea.” Magnus said and got up, the little tabby sitting comfortably in his hands as he moved to the door and Alec followed to go to the kitchen.

“I can’t believe you fattened him up.” Magnus scoffed as he descended the stairs.

“Oh shush, you love him chubby or not.” Alec claimed while rolling his eyes but once again, still smiling.

Magnus didn’t reply straight away but Alec heard the little sigh before the quiet, almost inaudible “You’re right”

***

Alec and Magnus sat on the sofa while drinking their tea, chatting with Jace as he worked away on whatever it was that he was doing. It was a couple of hours before anyone got to the house and Magnus lit up when Cat walked through the door.

“Maggie!” She cheered and pulled Magnus, who had shot up, into her arms. Alec smiled at the interaction. “It’s so good to have you here.”

“It’s good to be here.” Magnus replied, nuzzling his head in her neck. He then whispered something that Alec couldn’t hear and they both engaged in some secret conversation. “I-uh, I’m gonna go up and uh-yeah.” Magnus stuttered to Alec, who just raised an eyebrow but got up and kissed Magnus softly before waving him away.

“Real smooth” Cat said as they walked up the stairs.

“Shut up.” Magnus mumbled.

“What was all that about?” Jace asked after they were out of view.

“Magnus is insisting on getting me a Christmas present so I’m guessing something to do with that.” Alec shrugged and moved to sit on the floor next to Jace who just hummed in response. “What’s all this for?” Alec gestured to all of the papers.

“Right, so I didn’t want to say anything while Magnus was here but I was digging into Nate Gray and turns out he has a sister, someone called Theresa Gray who lives in New York but is currently in Texas...ring a bell?”

Alec’s eyes widened in realisation. “Shit.”

“Shit indeed.” Jace said, returning his attention to the papers and his laptop. “You still wanna go through with the surprise?”

Alec thought for a moment before waving it away. “Of course, you should have heard her on the phone. She was so relieved and started crying, I don’t think you can fake that kind of relief. Plus, she was there for Magnus and he cares about her and if there’s even the slightest possibility that she is involved in all of this, she’s not gonna try anything in the house of the Captain of the NYPD.”

“Fair point, do you at least wanna tell Mags?”

“Yeah, I’ll talk to him, but I’m still keeping her coming a surprise.”

“Okay, sounds good...how is he doing?” There was concern in Jace’s voice, different from the working tone he used a mere few seconds ago.

“I think he’s okay, I mean he slept quite well last night considering the one’s he had before and the doctor gave sleeping pills just in case.  He’s got to have anti depressants too and I know they’re there to help him but I hate that he has to take them.”

“I would hate it too dude, he doesn’t deserve the bullshit he had to deal with, it happens to the people who don’t deserve it.” Jace nodded in agreement.

“I-I’m just...I’m terrified that something’s gonna happen, and that I might lose him again...for real this time.” Alec confessed and Jace immediately wrapped his arms around him.

“He’s gonna be okay Alec, we’re gonna keep him safe.”

“It’s not us that I doubt; I just think we might be underestimating Valentine.”

“I’ll admit, the son a bitch is crafty and we don’t know what to expect, but think of how much he’s already done to try and ruin us and we’ve come out on top every time. This fucker isn’t gonna get away with it, we’re gonna make sure of it.” Jace assured and patted Alec’s back before pulling away. “Nothing’s gonna happen to Magnus, don’t worry.”

Alec wanted to believe Jace, he really did. But there was this fear boiling inside of him and he couldn’t shake it away, he knew that something bad was going to happen and this time, they might not be as lucky to make it out alive.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus heard the front door opening and closing before hearing the outburst of muffled noises. He rushed Cat to put everything away in bag and told her to keep it in Izzy’s room so Alec wouldn’t find it. This had to remain a surprise and so Alec couldn’t find it.

They both rushed down the stairs after tucking the bag away and found everyone waiting in the front room with big grins on their faces and Magnus couldn’t help the one that crawled onto his face at the sight.

“Sweetie, it’s so good to have you home.” Maryse smiled and hugged him tightly, kissing his hair.

“Thank you.” Magnus whispered into her embrace.

He didn’t know why he got so emotional, it’s not like she hasn’t hugged him before or used terms of endearment, but this just felt different. He felt like his heart was doing somersaults in his chest and he couldn’t explain the reason why, or pin point it, but he loved every moment and he wished it would never disappear. It just felt... _right,_ so, so right.

Everyone hugged him to welcome him back, even Alec who already had done so when they walked in and Magnus couldn’t wipe the smile off his face no matter how hard he tried.

“Okay everyone! Listen up!” Isabelle chirped and all the chatter simmered down as everyone turned to face her. She was standing on the coffee table so they could all see her. “Since I was elected to be the President of the Lightwood-Herondale-Bane-Lewis-Fray-Loss-Santiago-Fell Christmas Decorating extravaganza, I will assign you all your roles for this evening.”

“What is she talking about?” Magnus asked Alec in a whisper.

“We didn’t really want to celebrate Christmas without you so we haven’t decorated anything,” Alec explained and Magnus looked around, only now noticing the lack of Christmassy-ness in the house, “and now Iz thinks we’re on a tight schedule and she’s roping everyone in to help decorate.”

Magnus hummed in lieu of an answer but inside he was burning up. They didn’t want to celebrate Christmas without him. How had he deserved such a kind and loving family?

“Ey, who made you President?” Jace frowned.

“I did.” Izzy answered proudly.

“Why did no one tell me about this?” Jace asked no one in particular. “I could have been President.”

“Jace, last time we let you take charge of decorating, you burned our Christmas tree.” Alec deadpanned and Jace’s eyes grew hot and heavy while a blush crept up on his cheeks.

“That was an accident! How was I supposed to know that you’re not meant to use real candles?” He spluttered.

“It’s common sense man, everyone knows that.” Alec replied and the others were trying to hold back their laughter while Jace just got redder by the second.

“It’s okay babe, just listen to Iz.” Clary patted his chest affectionately while stifling her own giggles but he seemed to calm a little and the attention was back on Izzy.

“Okay, so now that we’ve all been exposed to Jace’s stupidity-“

“Hey!” He interrupted but she just continued with a smirk.

“-I’m assigning roles. Dad, Jace, Simon and Raph, you’re outside with lights. Clary, Ragnor and Cat, you guys down here and in the kitchen. Alec and Maxie, you guys gotta get the tree from the garage and put it up but no decorating and then upstairs needs doing up too. Mom, I’m withholding you from decorating duties since you said you wanted to prepare dinner. Once we’re all done, we’ll have dinner and then we all decorate the tree together.”

“What about you and Mags?” Jace piped up.

“I’m President and I’m electing Mags as Vice President so he gets to go around observing with me.”

“What? So we do all the work and you just boss everyone about?”

“Exactly.” She said with a smug grin and Jace muttered something under his breath, most probably curses.

It’s 3 o’clock so come on, chop chop!” She clapped her hands together and gracefully got off the table, making her way to Magnus and Alec while everyone began to scatter to get to their jobs.

“You ready for some team Magzy?” Izzy beamed and wiggled her eyebrows making Magnus laugh.

“Of course!” He agreed and turned to Alec. “Enjoy your manual labour!”

“Shut up.” Alec mumbled against his lips and pressed them to Magnus’ softly. Magnus wanted to melt into it but it only lasted a few seconds because Izzy began tugging Magnus away.

“My love!” Magnus fake sobbed, holding his hand out to Alec while being dragged away.

“I’ll never let go Mags! I’ll never let go!” Alec’s held his hand out too, trying to hide the laughter that was threatening his lips.

“You guys are so dramatic.” Izzy sighed and Magnus tore his gaze away from Alec, who was being yanked by Max, to look at her.

“Would you expect anything less?”

“No, no I wouldn’t.”

**Alec PV**

“Titanic, really Alec?” Max rolled his eyes as he moved to open the door to the garage.

“Magnus likes it and it wasn’t the worst movie.” Alec shrugged, following Max around the cars and to the trunk of the van where the tree was.  Their mom had bought it just today and luckily managed to find a decent sized tree.

“You’re so sappy.”

“I am.” Alec agreed without argument and began pulling on the tree to get it out of the car.

“I’m happy for you Alec, I’m glad you have him back. I’m glad to have him back.” Max confessed, more serious than his previous bored and teasing tone.

“Me too buddy, me too.”

“But you’re worried.” Max prompted and Alec breathed out a heavy exhale while nodding. 

“I mean, it’s like it hasn’t really sunk in. Sebastian, someone I knew for almost a year by the way, is working for Valentine. Magnus’ nurse, was most probably working for Valentine. Hodge, someone who’s been like a second dad to us, is working for Valentine. It’s like everybody is working for bloody Valentine and I’m so paranoid about anyone now because I don’t want anything to happen to Mags, I _can’t_ let anything happen to Mags.” Alec looked to the floor where the tree was now lying horizontally.

“I get it Alec, I really do. But right now, you’ve got him, and he’s not going anywhere. You can’t keep living in fear of something that might happen because you’ll just miss all the good things happening around you. Worrying about the future only takes away the present, and your present is Magnus, so why would you want to end up missing everything you can experience with him? He’s here right now, part of this family and this evening that Izzy is being all bossy about and he loves you. Stop looking too much into what _could_ happen and start looking at what _is_ happening.”

Alec was speechless. What were you even supposed to say to that? Here Max was, his 15 year old little brother acting like some next level motivational speaker.

“How did you get so wise?” Alec asked.

“I learnt from the best, Alec. You’re so smart, and you know that worrying is gonna get you nowhere. And Magnus is just as smart and he’s gonna get this mess sorted, we all are because we have each other. Valentine may have his minions and whatever working for him, but he doesn’t have a family. He doesn’t have _his_ family, and that’s one of the strongest weapons anyone could ever ask for. We’re gonna fight this Alec and we’re gonna win because we have each other, and if you ask me, we’re one hell of a badass team. Iz could just walk in with those stupidly high heeled shoes of hers with those pointy things and Valentine would shit himself. Imagine when he’s facing the whole gang!” Alec laughed and Max joined in.

“I would tell you off for your language but that was by far the best speech I’ve ever heard so I’m gonna let you off.” Max smirked smugly and Alec’s expression turned serious. “Thank you, Max. I really needed that.” He pulled Max into a hug and Max accepted it eagerly.

“You’re welcome bro, now come on, this tree isn’t moving itself and I know I’m like super strong and stuff but I don’t think I can move it myself. Plus, Magnus would yell at me if I didn’t get you to work so he could see your muscles and stuff.” Max shivered at the thought and Alec slapped his arm playfully.

Max was right. Jace was right. They could get through this. They _will_ get through this.

**Magnus PV**

“Okay, let’s go check on the boys outside.” Izzy declared and Magnus nodded, grabbing Alec’s coat on the way out and wrapping himself in it. It was beginning to snow again and everything looked beautiful, so crisp and clean. It felt like a fresh start, a second chance at life and Magnus would accept it with open arms. He was not losing this family no matter what.

The house looked amazing, they were almost finished save for a few string lights that Robert was working on and some reindeer statues that Raphael and Simon were setting up. It was mesmerising.

“How we doing guys!” Isabelle yelled out to the four of them.

“All good honey, what about inside?” Robert asked from his position on the ladder.

“Mom’s doing fine, Clary, Ragnor and Cat are almost finished and we’ve still got to check on Maxie and Alec.” Izzy stated looking at her clipboard.

Magnus almost burst out laughing when she pulled that out at the beginning of their ‘President and Vice President duties’, as Izzy had called them. She was one very enthusiastic participant and Magnus was quickly learning that she loved Christmas with a passion, as did most Lightwood’s. Their house was practically the North Pole in terms of Christmas decorations by the looks of it and they hadn’t even set up the tree yet.

The work was impressive though, it had barely been an hour and half yet almost everything was done and it looked bloody amazing.

“Hey can you ask mom to cut some pineapple for the pizza?” Jace asked, turning to look at them.

“Pineapple? On pizza?” Raphael inquired.

“Yes, got a problem, Santiago?” Jace sneered, but there was no hatred behind his tone.

“Yes, Herondale, I do. Why would you put fruit on a pizza?”

“He’s weird like that.” Simon piped up and Robert nodded in agreement making a humming sound as well.

“You are a little weird, son.”

“Wha-dad! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Jace pouted.

“I love you, but pineapple on pizza? That’s just absurd.”

“It is not! Iz, back me up here sis.” Jace faced her with pleading eyes.

“Jace, you’re the only one in this family that likes pineapple on their pizza so I’m not backing you up, but yes, I’ll ask mom to cut some for you, you weirdo.”

Jace made a funny face and Izzy stuck her tongue out at him, like any mature adult would do, before pulling Magnus inside with her.

He loved moments like those, observing them like a bystander even though he was part of it. There was something so comforting about witnessing a family bickering, because it came from a place of love and this particular love, Magnus was a part of. He smiled to himself at that and Izzy seemed to notice it if her own grin was anything to go by.

“You’re the best addition to this family Mags.”

Magnus didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. No words would do justice to explain what he felt and Izzy seemed to understand that as she just pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. “Come on; let’s go make sure your man is working hard.” She smirked and Magnus shook his head but followed anyway.

And God was he glad he did.

Alec was on a ladder, which was amusing considering he was a freaking giant, so now he just looked like the height of Hulk, but less green and less angry and more adorably and cute and god damn it, so sexy. His jumper was riding up and Magnus could see a sliver of ivory skin peeking out along with the stark, black lines of the tattoo and he licked his lips at the sight.

It was barely any skin, but he’d missed Alec so much and he’d missed being with him, loving him in every way possible that even this was enough to make him feel hot and flustered.

“Are you okay Mags?” Izzy asked with a concerned look and a hand on his shoulder.

“Ye-yeah, just feeling a little warm. It’s quite hot up here.” 

“Well you are wearing a fleece lined hoodie; you wanna change into something else? Dad always keeps the central heating high and the fireplace makes it like a sauna.”

“Uh-yeah, yeah okay. I’m gonna go change.”

“Will you be okay with your hand baby?” Alec asked from where he was after silently observing the situation.

“Mhm, yeah, I’ll be fine.” Magnus replied. It wasn’t a lie, he really would be okay, it was only a dull ache now but Alec would just make his flustering even worse. He would only ignite the tiny spark that was waiting to burn within Magnus and he knew for a fact that he couldn’t handle that right now nor resist it, so he trudged up the stairs without sparing a backwards glance at Alec.

**Alec PV**

“Is he okay?” Alec asked Izzy after Magnus had reached the final landing.

“I dunno, he just said he was feeling hot, maybe you should go and check on him. I’ll finish up with Max and meet you two downstairs.” She shrugged to seem nonchalant, but Alec could see in her eyes that she knew something and he wanted to find out what it was.

“What’s going on?” He raised his eyebrow as he saw the small smile tugging at her lips.

“God Alec, just go to your boyfriend and we’ll see you downstairs.” Max exasperated and Alec felt even more confused, but got off the ladder to go up to Magnus.

He could tell when Magnus was upset, and this wasn’t it. This was something else and both Izzy and Max seemed to know what was going on yet he was kept out of the loop.

What was all that about?

Alec knocked on the door softly and found his room to be empty, but he heard water running so walked up to the bathroom door and knocked again. “Mags?”

“You can come in.” Magnus’ voice called out and Alec opened the door tentatively to find Magnus splashing water on his face.

“Baby, are you okay?” Alec asked worriedly and placed a hand on the small of Magnus’ back, which seemed to make him flinch. “Magnus?”

“I’m sorry, it’s stupid, it’s nothing to worry about.” He mumbled behind his hands that were covering his face.

Alec slowly and carefully pulled Magnus’ hands away from his face and looked into his eyes. “Baby, nothing you say would ever be stupid. What’s wrong?”

Magnus sighed and Alec could tell he was gathering up his words, so he waited patiently, rubbing small circles with his thumb onto the back of Magnus’ hands.

“I-I just, God this is so stupid. I just got all hot and flustered because of you.”

Alec’s heart skipped a beat.

“Me?”

“Yeah, I just, I missed you and my brain went all fuzzy when you were on that ladder because your shirt rode up. It’s stupid, I know but I couldn-“

Alec cut him off by crashing their lips together and Magnus melted into the kiss almost instantly as if it was second nature.

It was indeed stupid, but it made sense, and Alec would be lying if Magnus wasn’t having the same effect on Alec because he had missed him too, missed him in every single way and his body ached for Magnus.

Alec licked across the seam of Magnus’ lips and without hesitation; Magnus parted them to let Alec’s tongue slip in. It was warm, familiar, perfect, and Magnus couldn’t help the little whimper that escaped from him.

Magnus’ hands unclasped from Alec’s and moved to his unruly hair, tugging on it a little while Alec’s own hands circled Magnus’ waist and then lower, squeezing his cheeks a little. Alec pulled back from the kiss only to latch his lips onto Magnus jaw, then neck as he licked, sucked and bit expertly.

“Magnus, you’re perfect. So perfect. I love you baby.” Alec whispered against his neck and Magnus sucked in a breath and the praise.

“I-mmh-I love you too, so fucking much.” He panted.

 Alec’s long fingers moved to the hem of Magnus’ hoodie and he lifted it up, exposing soft, caramel skin. He pulled it up further and over Magnus’ neck, instantly back to kissing his neck as the material was discarded to the floor. Alec’s lips left a wet trail down Magnus chest, on his nipples and down to his naval. Over the month, Magnus had lost some muscle definition but to Alec he was beautiful. He was always beautiful and every imperfection was perfect to him, because he loved Magnus. It was as simple as that.

He made quick work of Magnus’ jeans, undoing the buttons and zipper just as efficiently he had done it up this morning, and pulled them down along with Magnus’ boxers releasing Magnus’ erection, which stood hard and proud against his stomach.

“Fuck Magnus, you’re so fucking gorgeous.” Alec groaned before planting two soft kisses on Magnus’ thighs and promptly taking all of Magnus into his mouth making Magnus let out a filthy moan.

“Shit Alexa-Alexander.”  Magnus tugged on Alec’s hair hard and thrust into that warm, wet mouth, enjoying the feel of Alec’s humming around his throbbing cock as it sent jolts of electricity through his body.

Alec bobbed his head up and down, licking the slit as he pulled back and hollowing his cheeks as he drove Magnus completely insane.

Hearing Magnus moan and pant before him after so long was like music to Alec’s ears and it only made him wilder as he could feel his own orgasm pooling.

“Fuck, I-I’m gonna-“ Magnus came with a scream of Alec’s name and Alec took him all, swallowing every drop greedily.

Alec tucked him back into his boxers, pulled his jeans up and then kissed his way up Magnus’ chest right back to his lips.

“Let’s find you something less likely to make you burn up, yeah?” Alec asked as his lips ghosted over Magnus’.

Magnus nodded, still slightly dazed but his hands were making their way down Alec’s chest, right to his pants and Alec took a hold of them softly to stop him.

“No need.” He said, and Magnus looked down at the dark patch at the front of Alec’s jeans. Alec would usually be embarrassed by something like this, but this moment was not one of them. “I haven’t heard you, tasted you...felt you in so long and it just drove me over the edge baby.”

Magnus smiled up at him and kissed him eagerly until they were both thoroughly out of breath. “I love you Alexander.”

“I love you, Magnus.” Alec replied, and with one last chaste kiss, Alec pulled away so he could get them both looking at least a little presentable.

* * *

After changing into clean boxers and similar jeans to avoid knowing looks, while Magnus put on one of Alec’s thin sweaters and tried to tame Alec’s hair to no avail, they both made their way downstairs where everyone was in the kitchen, hustling about.

They all seemed oblivious to what had just happened except for Isabelle, who grinned and winked at the two of them before continuing on the task at hand.

Everyone got their pizza bases and added their desired toppings while singing and dancing along to Christmas music. It was so cosy, so comfy and the best welcome home party Magnus could have asked for.

After eating, they decorated the tree together and the house was finally ready. It looked absolutely amazing and Magnus hadn’t had a Christmas like this in years, it warmed his heart and almost made his eyes water. He was so happy with these people, so content and loved and there was nothing that could take that away from him. He would always love them, just as they would always love him.

Isabelle congratulated everyone on their tremendous work for the day before everyone settled in the front room, thoroughly stuffed and exhausted as they watched Elf while sharing lazy conversations and stories amidst the fire place and warmth of each other’s love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate pineapple on pizza...eww.  
> See you soon for the next chapter! <3


	24. Cherish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Eve and Christmas at the Lightwood residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so sorry that it's been almost three weeks since my last update. It's just been hectic and then I sort of lost my flow and I'm not so sure I like this chapter but hopefully I'll get my mojo back and get into the swing of writing more often again without interruptions. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I'm pretty sure next one will be angst? Maybe? Who knows. So yeah, enjoy this little bit of fluff and happiness while it lasts :)

**Magnus PV**

_“Halley, please don’t go with him! Please don’t go Halley!” Magnus begged while his sister walked away from him into the arms of Imasu._

_“I’m sorry, Maggie, I have to do this.”_

_“What are you talking about? Halley he’s going to kill you! You can’t go! Come back, please!” Magnus could see Imasu’s smirk but he couldn’t move, all he could do was stand there and watch as his sister walked further away from him, right to the man that would kill her._

_“Halley, please don’t go!”_

“Halley! Please, Halley, I beg you, don’t go!” Magnus tossed and turned, his cheeks stained with tears and clothes stuck to his body with cold sweat.

“No!”

“Magnus, baby, wake up.”

“No! Don’t take her! Please Halley don’t go!”

“Shh, Mags, you’re okay. You’re safe, you’re okay. Wake up Magnus.”

“Don’t go, ple-“ Magnus bolted upright and panted heavily, his eyes adjusting in the darkness of the room.

Right...room. Because he was with Alec. Halley was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Shh, shh baby. You’re safe.” Alec whispered and wrapped his arms around Magnus, cradling him into his strong arms and warm embrace.

Magnus was shivering, tears streaming freely down his face and whole body aching from his nightmare.

“Ale-Alexander?”

“I’m right here Magnus, I’m right here.”

 Magnus exhaled sharply as he let himself relax into the hold on him. He was safe. It was just a nightmare. That’s all.

But he was still terrified.

“I don’t want...I can’t sleep. I don’t want to sleep...I’m scared.” The last part was almost inaudible; Magnus could barely admit his fear. It was silly, it’s not like Alec was going to judge him at all but he felt weak and pathetic. Halley was gone, his father was gone and his mother was gone. There was nothing he could do to change that so these nightmares were just that, nightmares. They weren’t real and he shouldn’t be so terrified of them.

“It’s okay, baby, let’s get you in a bath yeah?” Alec kept his voice quiet, calming and soothing.

Magnus nodded and allowed Alec to carry his body into the bathroom. It was early morning, as the alarm clock showed .The crack of dawn would be in an hour or so.

Alec ran the bath; placing lavender oils and muscle relaxing salts into the steamy water before peeling Magnus’ sweat drenched clothes off of his shaking body.

As soon as he hit the water, Magnus felt every worry leave him. He could physically feel the tension leaving his muscles, the fears and doubts leaving his mind as an aura of calm envelopes him.

Alec kneeled on the floor and placed his hands on Magnus’ shoulders, kneading them with his dexterous fingers.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alec asked after minutes of silence.

Magnus kept his eyes shut, not letting the light in and letting Alec’s touch remind him that he wasn’t alone. He was home and he was safe.

“No, not right now...” He answered after a moment, before adding “can you distract me?”

“Of course,” Magnus felt Alec’s soft lips against his temple, “why don’t I tell you about...” he hummed as he thought of something before it finally came to him, “Oh! Got it! Let me tell you about this one time Iz kicked this guy’s ass and burnt stuff.”

Magnus chuckled a little and nodded, eager to hear the story.

“So, she was dating, well sorta dating. I think she said fuck buddies but I don’t want to think about that, she’s my baby sister after all but anyway, she was whatever with this guy and he was a complete asshole. Like serious asshole, his ego was bigger than Jace’s and that’s saying something, and he was an arrogant fucker. Jace and I hated the wanker from the beginning but I guess Iz saw something in him and we can’t tell her what to do, she’d impale us with one of her devil shoes. So one day, the two of them had the house to themselves and he invited his sister, and Iz decided to cook for them all because apparently the guy and his sister just got back from some trip to Spain and were tired. So they went to sleep upstairs and Iz cooked, which obviously didn’t end well because it’s Isabelle and she ended up starting a fire and panicking and she ran upstairs to get this guys help only to find him fucking this girl who he said was his sister but was in fact some high end hooker and Iz lost her shit. The relationship wasn’t exclusive but like it was her room and she just lost it and beat the shit out of him, all the while the fire was happening downstairs so by the time me and Jace got home, the worktop and hob was like just burnt and smoke was everywhere, we managed to put out the fire and went up to Iz’s room to see this guy on the floor with marks all over his body from one of Izzy’s shoes and his cheeks were red from slaps and the other girl was just sat naked on the bed which obviously grossed me out so I was there like gagging and she still asked to be paid but Iz just shoved her and the guy out the house on their asses and we all just burst out laughing after she slammed the door shut. We even burnt Iz’s sheets and mattress and got a new bed for her.”

Magnus was hysterical by the end of the story and couldn’t control his giggles. “I can most definitely imagine her doing something like that.”

“She’s a force to be reckoned with.” Alec grinned. “Though when dad got home, he wasn’t too pleased with the kitchen being a wreck. You know, we’ve had that kitchen renewed 7 times in the span of two years because of her.”

Magnus burst out with another fit of laughter. “What a treasure.”

Alec hummed in agreement and put on some music from his phone. They sat in silence letting the instrumental piano surround them for half an hour or so until there was a muffled knock on the bathroom door. Alec got up and opened the door just a little so Magnus was blocked from view. “Clary?”

“Is everything okay?” She sounded croaky as if she’d just gotten up.

“Yeah we’re good.” Alec reassured her with a little smile.

“Okay, I just heard some shouting but I thought it was my dream or whatever but then someone was laughing and I just wanted to check. Is Magnus in there?”

“Yep” Magnus popped the ‘p’ and Clary giggled.

“You okay Mags?”

“Mhm, just enjoying a nice bath.” Magnus splashed some water and Alec glared at him, but the corners of his lips were curving up and he ended up smiling too.

“I’m gonna go make some coffee, you want anything?” Clary asked.

“Yeah, can you get some tea for Mags and I’ll have coffee, thanks.”

“Sure, no problem. I’ll be right back.”

Alec shut the door and turned to look at Magnus who was now standing, getting ready to get out of the bath. Alec helped him out and dried him off, getting him dressed in sweatpants and one of Alec’s sweaters before moving to the bed just as Clary came back in the room with a tray in hand.

“You guys wanna watch a movie?” Clary asked.

Magnus perked up and nodded while Alec changed the bed sheets and put the old ones in the hamper. “Yeah, sure, shall we watch Love Actually?”

Alec groaned. “No! If I have to watch that one more time I’m gonna claw my eyes out.”

“Then what do you suggest? Mr I hate all love stories.” Magnus retorted and crossed his arms.

“I don’t hate ours.”

“Finding Nemo? It’s not a Christmas film but why not?” Clary piped in before sappiness could ensue and Magnus thought for about two seconds before agreeing.

The three of them along Chairman Meow curled up on Alec’s bed with their drinks as they watched the film while the sun rose.

* * *

 

By midday, everyone was fully awake and functioning. It was Christmas eve so Maryse was preparing food for the party tomorrow while everyone else helped where they could or just played games. Magnus had spent a couple of hours cooped up in Alec’s room with Catarina and Ragnor while they worked on what Alec assumed was his present, so during that time, Alec helped Jace and his father with some last minute shopping.

Alec told Magnus about Tessa being related to Nate Gray but just like himself, Magnus didn’t believe she had some part in this elaborate scheme of theirs and he took it pretty well. Alec still left out the surprise though so Magnus wasn’t aware that they had managed to contact Tessa the first time they tried.

Magnus hadn’t spoken about his nightmare yet and Alec didn’t want to pressure him, but he was worried dearly. He hated seeing Magnus like that, and he hated that his nights were haunted and he couldn’t sleep in peace. He felt like he was going to have a panic attack just by waking up to Magnus’ screams in the early morning. It broke his heart into pieces.

Robert had decided to not tell the precinct apart from the two officers, Dylan and Will, about Magnus’ return since he didn’t want Hodge to find out or any other moles for that matter and Alec was happy to oblige however, they had a feeling Sebastian would have passed on the news. Even if they didn’t know if he was awake or alive, they most probably knew he was found. He knew Magnus could possibly feel trapped in the house since he couldn’t really leave with Valentine out there, but Alec was not prepared to lose Magnus again and if that meant barely leaving their Fort Knox of a home until Valentine was caught, then so be it. Magnus agreed too so Alec felt more relaxed by the evening and was looking forward to their Christmas celebration with his whole family.

**Alec PV**

That night, Magnus had trouble falling asleep and when he finally did, he woke up 3 times crying before it even hit 4am. Eventually though, he fell into a peaceful slumber and slept in Alec’s arms for an uninterrupted 5 hours.

The sun was shining through the room through the opening in the curtains and it illuminated Magnus’ sharp features, making his caramel skin appear to be glowing. He was utterly ethereal. Alec had never seen someone so beautiful before, inside and out. Magnus’ soul was kind and pure and that only exaggerated his physical beauty and Alec was eternally grateful that he could call Magnus his.

Magnus stirred and blinked his eyes open, and upon seeing Alec, he smiled an adorable sleepy smile.

“Good morning.” He mumbled, resting his head on Alec’s chest.

“Morning.” Alec replied and placed a soft kiss on Magnus’ hair. “Merry Christmas baby.”

“Merry Christmas to you too.” Magnus beamed and jumped up to flop right down on top of Alec, hugging him tightly. 

Alec yelped but wrapped his arms around Magnus’ waist and melted into the embrace, especially when Magnus connected their lips in a soft but passionate kiss.

“Ew guys come on!”

Both Magnus and Alec broke apart to face Jace, Isabelle and Max at the bedroom door, they instantly jumped onto the bed and bombarded the two with hugs and kisses and Christmas greetings.

They were all soon joined by Clary and Simon, and then Cat, Ragnor and Raphael. All of them squished together on Alec’s bed. It was by far nowhere near big enough for all of them but it made it all the more cosy and comforting.

“Shall I make breakfast?” Isabelle asked and was met with a cacophony of shouts and protests. “Fine, but I’m hungry so all of you get your lazy assess up.” She grumbled and rolled of the bed. Clary pushed Jace off and he fell with a thud to the floor while everyone erupted in laughter and moved to get up too.

Alec had obviously had many Christmases with his family, but this was by far the best. Not just because he had Magnus, but because of everyone’s attitude. Despite how they have so much to deal with and so much to worry about, everyone seemed so happy to be together to celebrate and it warmed Alec’s heart. They were one, big, mismatched family and he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Once downstairs, they all ate breakfast with Robert and Maryse while listening to Christmas songs on repeat. It was the most cliché, cheesy Christmas you could think of but they were the best.

By noon, they had all sat by the tree and fireplace while giving and receiving an abundance of gifts ranging from clothing, games, gadgets, accessories and food.

“We have one more thing for you, Magnus.” Robert said and reached into his pocket, pulling out a key. “Now, I know the place doesn’t have the best memories, but it has always been for you, so now that you’re here, I’ve signed over your father’s cabin to you.”

Alec knew about this, Robert and he had discussed whether it would be appropriate considering all the hurt that happened in that cabin. But then Alec realised that Magnus would have had so many good memories from there too, and Cat had said that it was like his and his father’s sanctuary and Magnus deserved to have it. His father would have wanted him to have it.

Magnus’ eyes were watering and he was frozen. Alec placed a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles and that seemed to bring him out of his daze. “Tha-thank you.” He accepted the key and the following hug from Robert and Maryse.

“You’re most welcome, son.”

Alec loved seeing this. Magnus being embraced, being loved and accepted. He deserved it all and so much more and Alec was beyond happy that he and his family could offer that for him.

Once everyone had settled down, Alec pulled Magnus up the stairs to his room to give his present. Magnus sat down on the bed, and Alec pulled the box out from under the bed, encouraging Magnus to open it. As soon as he uncovered the brand, he paused with his hand resting on the wrapping paper and looked up to meet Alec’s gaze with his mouth agape. He slowly peeled away the rest of the paper and was silent for all but 5 seconds before squealing and jumping into Alec’s lap.

“Thank you, thank you, and thank you.” He mumbled in between kisses.

Alec chuckled and kissed him back enthusiastically. “You’re welcome Mags, I know how much you missed your old one and I remember you raging about that comet that you wanted to see in February so now you can.”

Magnus just beamed at him, probably unable to form words but that smile on his face was saying plenty. Alec would do anything to keep that smile there forever. 

“Okay your turn.” Magnus whispered after moments of silence. He reached into his sweatpants pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in paper with a little bow. “Open it.”

Alec tore the wrapping and opened the box to find an arrow head.

“Turn it over.”

Alec did just that and to find a tiny engraving of his and Magnus’ initials. “You made it?” Alec asked with wide eyes.

Magnus nodded. “I asked your dad and he told me about your mould that you use for your arrow heads so I made one for you. Here, let me.” Magnus took it out of the box and Alec noticed the string around it. He placed it over Alec’s head, letting it fall against his chest.

Alec was amazed, befuddled and exceptionally proud. “I love you.”

“And I love you, my Alexander.” Alec pressed his lips to Magnus’, tasting him, savouring him, loving him.

They stayed like that, Magnus in Alec’s lap and kissing each other for what could have been hours, until Magnus decided to set up the telescope.

They spent the next hour taking it out of the box and assembling it by the large windows in Alec’s room. Alec had no idea what to do so he followed Magnus’ instructions, because of course Magnus was a pro and new exactly what to do without reading the manual once. It was inspirational to see him in his element.

Alec would occasionally steal a glance down at the necklace and admire Magnus’ handiwork. He’d made it perfectly and the inscription was the loveliest, intricate detail that made it all the more meaningful.

It was still too bright outside to see anything so they both decided to shower and get dressed for the party that was to take place later that evening. Alec wore dark blue skinny jeans and a black shirt rolled up at the sleeves with two buttons undone whereas Magnus wore black skinny jeans with an emerald green silk shirt with gold embroidery along with his jewellery and glitter.

Downstairs, the dining table had various snacks and drinks and everyone seemed to be mingling. Luke and Jocelyn were talking with Robert and Maryse was with the Penhallow’s and Lydia.

“You guys look lovely.”Isabelle chirped and kissed both Alec and Magnus on the cheek.

“As do you, Isabelle.” Magnus smiled and Alec nodded in agreement. She was wearing a silver sequined dress that stopped at her thighs with her hair in cascading curls down her back. “Come, I want you to meet my friend Maia.”

Magnus left with Izzy and Alec went over to talk to Simon who was watching Ragnor and Raphael with an amused expression. “Hey, what’s going on here?” Alec asked pointing between the two.

“I’m not exactly sure man, something about green cabbage and pictures but I got lost halfway.” Simon shrugged. “How’s Magnus doing?”

“Good, yeah, he loved the telescope so that was a win.”

“Knew it. And you? How are you doing?”

Alec paused for a moment. How _was_ he doing? “I don’t really know. I mean I’m good right now, and it’s probably because Magnus is okay but every time he has a nightmare or doesn’t eat much I just worry. And I know it’s gonna take time to get better but I just wish I could do more to help you know? Do something to make it go away.”

“Yeah, I get it. But I think he knows you’re trying your best and at the end of the day, they’re his demons to bury and no matter how much help and support we give, he has to overcome it himself. He’s a strong guy, stronger than most of us so I have no doubt he’ll overcome it, as will you.”

“Thanks Si, I appreciate it. How are things with Raphael?”

“Good, more than good in fact. He met mom and Rebecca and they loved him despite his grumpiness.”

“I’m happy for you dude.”

“Me too, for you I mean. We’ve come a long way since the beginning of this year. I mean you met Magnus, I met Raph, you passed the Bar, Jace and Fray are gonna get engaged and Star Wa-“

“What?!” Alec stared at Simon with wide eyes.

“What?” Simon furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean Jace and Clary are getting engaged? Why did no one tell me?”

“You didn’t know? Fuck, Jace told me like a couple of weeks ago. He hasn’t done it yet, obviously, so don’t say anything to Clary but he said eventually. Go talk to him man.” Both Simon and Alec looked around the room for Jace, spotting him on his way to the kitchen.

“I’ll be back.” Alec patted Simon’s shoulder.

“Go easy on him!” Simon shouted after him.

Why wouldn’t Jace tell him? They were brothers, best friends; this wasn’t something you keep to yourself.

“Jace?” Alec called out when he was in hearing range.

“What’s up bro?”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were gonna propose?” Alec asked blankly, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

Jace looked shocked for a second before he gained his composure again and peered out of the door to check Clary wasn’t near. “Look, I was gonna tell you, I swear, but then Magnus went missing and you weren’t doing good man and I couldn’t tell you because you were so heartbroken and it just seemed wrong to say anything so I didn’t tell you and I didn’t do it. But now you’ve got him and I was gonna tell you today but obviously someone else already did.”

“You didn’t propose to her sooner because of me?” Alec asked incredulously.

“Yeah, it just felt wrong to do it with you not happy you know? And without Magnus, because I wanted to do it in front of our family...are you angry with me?”

“No, no of course not. You...you didn’t have to wait Jace.”

“Yes, I did.”

It was a simple response, but Alec didn’t argue further. He just smiled because there wasn’t much he could say to show his gratitude for something as big as this.

“When are you gonna do it?” He asked after a moment.

“Today?”

“You don’t sound so sure.”

“Is it okay to do it on Christmas?”

“What? Of course. You can do it on any day, and you’ve already missed a month to do it so get in there and propose to your girlfriend dude.”

Jace grinned; a big, gleeful grin and Alec pulled him into a hug. “I’m so proud of you Jace, she’s gonna be so happy.”

They both walked out to join the rest of the party as the doorbell rang. Alec went to open it to be faced with Dr Carstairs and a woman with brown hair and grey eyes.

“Alec, Merry Christmas!” Jem greeted.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Doctor Carstairs, please come on in.”

“Please, Alec, call me Jem.” He smiled kindly and handed his coat to Alec’s outstretched arms, as did the woman.

“Hi, Alec, I’m Tessa, we spoke on the phone.” She held out her hand but Alec pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you so much, for what you did.” He whispered.

“Nonsense sweetie, you don’t have to thank me. Where is he?”

“I’ll go get him, please come in, and make yourself at home.” Alec hung the coats on the rack and went to Magnus, who hadn’t noticed the new arrivals.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus was more than pleased with Alec’s reaction for his gift. He knew it wasn’t something spectacular but he thought it was perfect and in the short time he had, it seemed like the right gift. He left out the part of it being tech to Alec because he didn’t want to alarm him, but Magnus needed reassurance that he could keep him safe and this was the only way he thought he could do it.

He loved the telescope too. He had only mentioned it once or twice at the most to Alec in their time together but Alec still remembered it and bought one for him, especially with the comet coming up, the one that his sister was named after. It’s only visible from Earth every 75 years and this was the only chance he’d get. He and Halley had planned to do it together before she died.

This was the first Christmas in years that he had actually enjoyed, and despite having doubts about the party, he was surprisingly having more fun than he expected. He was with his family and it was the best thing he could have asked for, something he hadn’t had in so long during the holidays. It made him want to cherish these moments deeply, to never forget them. The first of many Christmases surrounded by these amazing people who have managed to make him not look at the pain in his life but rather embrace everything it still has to offer, and the most important thing it offers is Alec, _his_ Alexander.

Magnus felt familiar arms wrap around his waist and hot breath on the shell of his ear. “Hey, I have a surprise for you, come on.” He whispered and placed a soft kiss on Magnus’ temple.

“Okay.” Magnus nodded and Alec covered his eyes with his hands, carefully guiding him somewhere else in the room and when he pulled away, Magnus’ eyes lit up and filled with tears.

“Tessa?” he asked with a shaky breath.

She nodded and pulled Magnus into her arms. He instantly melted into the touch that had calmed him through so many nightmares, that had held him through so many tears and had comforted him when he had no one. “Oh Magnus, you have no idea how happy I am to see you honey.”

“I’m so sorry Tessa, I-your house and-“

“Shush, none of that matters, what matters is that you’re okay and well. You _are_ okay, right?” She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands, looking intently into his eyes as if she’d find the answer in them.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. How did you-I thought they couldn’t reach you?”

Tessa looked over his shoulder to where Alec was and smiled. “Well I’m moving back to New York and when Alec and Robert called me, I asked them to not tell you because I wanted to see you in person, to talk to you in person.”

“You’re moving back?”

“Yeah, honey, I am.”

Magnus pulled her back into a bone crushing hug, trying to fight back the tears. He didn’t know why he felt like crying, maybe it was the overwhelming sense of happiness he felt and how much of a contrast it felt like to just a week ago where he was in one of the darkest stages of his life.

Tessa beckoned Alec closer once she and Magnus separated and he wrapped an arm around his waist, wiping away the single tear with his thumb. “I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you Alec, and I’m so happy that you both found your way back to each other.”

Alec smiled and nodded. “Me too.”

***

The late afternoon turned into evening and they all ate dinner and mingled. Magnus felt like he was about to burst with the amount of food he managed to eat, but he’d always been a sucker for anything and everything Christmas so it was no surprise really.

Magnus was talking to Tessa, Will and Jem with the music quietened and Jace spoke up in front of everyone.

“I wanted to thank everyone for coming today and celebrating Christmas with us. We’ve all had a pretty rough month and it’s been shit, to say the least, “everyone chuckled a little, Magnus included, because yeah, it was shit indeed, “But I think this, being with friends and family makes you realise all the good that life can still give, all the love still to offer, and there’s no other way that I’d want to celebrate anything without all of you. So with that in mind, uh, Clary?” Clary, who was standing next to Simon and Luke, looked a little shocked to be called out mid speech, but accepted Jace’s outstretched hand anyway. Jace got down on one knee and there were a series of gasps and one squeal, courtesy of Isabelle. Clary, however, seemed to be frozen in place with her eyes glassy from unshed tears that would probably fall any second. “When you came into my life, it was so unexpected. I still remember getting pissed because some girl got paint all over my leather jacket, but then that some girl turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me, and I went rushing to Alec and Izzy at lunch to tell them about this beautiful girl who ruined my jacket, gave me her number and I fell in love, and then from there on out, I just fell more in love with you every single day. I love you so, so much, with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you even more, so, Clary Fray, will you marry me?” Jace had taken out the ring, holding it up to Clary who was now smiling even brighter than the sun.

“Yes! Yes of course, oh my god yes!” She jumped into Jace’s arms when he got up smiling equally as bright and everyone clapped as they kissed and he placed the ring on her finger.

Magnus caught Alec’s gaze from across the room and there was something in his eyes that made Magnus feel all giddy and electrified.

Everyone congratulated Clary and Jace and they made a makeshift dance floor where they both sway along with all the other couples and to Magnus’ shock, Will, Jem and Tessa were dancing together too.

Alec sauntered over towards Magnus with a smile on his handsome face and swooped down to grab one of Magnus’ hands and pull him closer by his other arm that wrapped swiftly around his waist.

“Dance with me.”

“Was that a question?” Magnus asked, allowing Alec to lead their slow dance.

“Was that an answer?”

“No.”

“No to it being an answer, or no to dancing with me?”

“I’m already dancing with you; you didn’t give me much choice.”

“Would you have said no?”

“No.”

“Good.” Alec captured Magnus’ lips with his own, and Magnus tasted the champagne on his hot tongue and it was intoxicating. “That,” Alec tilted his head towards Clary and Jace, “is gonna be us someday. I hope you know that I’m going to marry you one day, Magnus Bane.”

Magnus’ heart skipped a beat.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo happy Clace engagement? I didn't plan for that, it just sort of happened while I was writing but no one's complaining right?  
> Love you all and thank you for being patient with my random pause <3


	25. And So The Work Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus finally gets his fathers laptop but finds that not everything will be easy to stop Valentine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these seem to be a bit filler like chapters but I'm sorta working out a time line for the things to happen in the story so bear with me :)  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Magnus PV**

“Okay, so I’ve had this for 7 years now and not once was I able to open it.” Robert said while he walked to his office, Magnus and Alec on his heels.

“What do you mean?” Magnus asked.

“I can’t get the damn thing open. I mean he said to take it but I couldn’t do anything with it so I just had to wait for you I guess.” Robert explained and moved towards the bookshelf where Magnus knew the safe was.

“That’s where you kept it? But I...I saw inside there and...” Magnus trailed off, still unwilling to face the fact that he had misused their trust and broke into Robert’s safe.

“It’s okay Magnus,” Robert smiled as if he could read Magnus’ thoughts, “This is something your father made for me actually, come here.” He beckoned Magnus closer. “Give me your hand.”

Magnus let his hand be taken by Robert’s and he guided it into the safe in the far left corner where there seemed to be a little notch that felt like it was made of a different material compared to the metal of the safe.

“Push it.” Robert said, and so Magnus did, and he watched as the left side of the safe lifted to reveal a secret compartment of sorts where the laptop lay.

Magnus was in awe, his father made that?

“I know, I was like that the first time I saw it too.” Robert chuckled and Magnus pulled out the laptop, running his hands over the smooth black lid.

“I’ve never seen this before.” Magnus stated.

“You haven’t?”

“No, this wasn’t the one he used all the time when I was around.”

Asmodeous probably had more than one laptop by the looks of it and this one containing the most valuable and important information, only emphasized more by the fact that it couldn’t be opened normally.

“Do you think you can open it?” Alec asked from where he was leaning against the doorframe at the entrance.

“I don’t know. I can try. I should probably secure your connection first though to make sure no one can get in if we can open it.” Magnus replied, not taking his eyes off the device in his hands and examining it as a whole to see if there was any way to pry it open.

“Dad!” Jace shouted from downstairs. “Letter.” He added.

“Where’s your router?” Magnus inquired as Robert made a move to leave the office.

“Downstairs, coming?”

Magnus nodded and followed. “Alexander, can I borrow your laptop?”

“Of course, I’ll go get it and meet you downstairs.” 

Alec went up to his room while Magnus and Robert went down to the living room where Jace was sat holding an ivory envelope in his hands.

“It’s the same, dad. Exactly the same.” Jace said.

“Fuck.” Robert sighed.

“It’s addressed to Magnus.”

“Me?” Magnus asked. Everyone who knew he was here had his number so they wouldn’t send a letter, so who could it be? And then it clicked. “Valentine?”

“Most probably. He sent letters in this kind of envelope and the writing was like this every time.” Jace looked up to Magnus with apologetic eyes and Magnus inwardly sighed. God he wanted to murder that bald fucker for this constant torment.

He accepted the letter from Jace, just as Alec descended the stairs, but froze to stare at the words ‘Magnus Bane’ above the address.

“Magnus? What is it?” Robert asked, concern laced in his voice.

“This...this writing, it just...it looks exactly like Halley’s.”

No one said anything after that. They all just looked at Magnus, then at each other, and then back at Magnus all the while he himself just stared at the familiar cursive looping.

With careful hands, he broke the wax seal and took out the paper folded in half, missing how something fell out from the letter.

_Dear Magnus,_

_I’m so glad you’re okay, though I must say I have been questioning your state of mind if you went back to that killer, that murderer. And Alexander? You couldn’t possibly believe he still loves you could you? Are you that naive and desperate for attention? If it’s love that you seek, we have plenty here. I’m sure Sebastian or Camille would be happy to help._

_My offer still stands, I hope you come to your senses and join me. Don’t trust Robert and don’t believe they all love you. They just want what’s on that laptop and as soon as they have it, they’ll throw you out like trash. I wouldn’t do that, Magnus. You could stand with me and be rich, have anything and everything. Come and join me._

_Just call the number below when you come to your senses. I’ll be waiting._

_Yours truly,_

_Valentine_

_P.S, I am terribly sorry for what Imasu did and I don’t blame you for killing him. I found this in his room. I am so sorry about your sister, Magnus, she didn’t deserve what he did._

“Magnus?” Alec said cautiously, seemingly not for the first time. Magnus turned to look at him, noticing what he held in his hand: A picture.

Halley. She was smiling, wearing exactly what she wore that day. The embroidered bohemian style dress and her brown suede jacket hanging loosely off her shoulders.

Magnus felt the tears prickling at his eyes along with the range and anger bubbling inside of him, ready to erupt any second.

He didn’t realise he was shaking furiously until Alec wrapped his arms around him, effectively stopping his trembling and eliciting the tears to flow freely and silently, dampening Alec’s t-shirt.

“It’s okay, let it out. You’re okay.” He whispered into Magnus’ ear, caressing his back and pressing soft kisses to his hair until Magnus stopped crying and shaking.

**Alec PV**

Alec came down the stairs to see Magnus’ back to him, his muscles stiff and tense. He felt undeniable anger flow through him once he caught sight of the letter in Magnus’ hand, realising it was from Valentine.

But when Magnus said the writing looked like his sisters? Alec’s heart broke at how dejected and distant Magnus sounded.

And once he finished reading the letter, Alec felt an air of melancholy surround them, more so when Magnus started shaking upon seeing the picture of the girl and Alec guessed it was his sister.

“I’m gonna kill him.” He stated coldly when Magnus’ tears had come to a halt and his trembling ceased. He carefully plucked the letter out of Magnus’ hands when he offered it and read over it, the words only exaggerating the million ways he wanted to cause Valentine pain. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

Alec handed the letter to Robert and Jace who both read it just as quickly, and he watched as their eyes shifted from concern and questioning to cold and ominous.

Surprisingly, it was Magnus who broke the apprehensive silence, his words muffled from where his face was pressed against Alec’s chest.

“This is what she wore the day she went missing. The day Imasu took her.”

Magnus’ voice didn’t break or crack, in fact, it was emotionless, and that terrified Alec to the core.

He didn’t say anything else, just reached for the laptop Alec had set down and began to tap his nails on the surface of it vehemently, presumably while it loaded up.

“Magnus?” Alec called out warily, and when he didn’t respond, Alec repeated himself and placed a hand on Magnus’ shoulder making him jump. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no it’s okay. Uh, Jace, do you think you could run that number and see who it belongs to?”

Jace looked a little caught off guard by Magnus’ request but nodded and reached for his own computer.

“Can you read me your WPA and Network Security Key please?” He asked looking at Alec, who made no move to do so.

“Magnus, just hold on for a second.” Once Magnus stopped fiddling with his fingers and rings, Alec continued. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Magn-“

“I said I’m fine, can you read me the Keys please?” Magnus snapped and Alec flinched at his tone, cold and devoid of his usual love and adoration.

Alec knew he wouldn’t be able to get through to him right now, and he knew that Magnus was hurting and felt like he needed to do this. Maybe he did. Maybe working will help him, and so Alec nodded and got up to go to the router, reading out the Keys to a waiting Magnus who typed them into whatever was on the screen.

“Uhm, Magnus?” Jace spoke up.

“Yeah? Did you find something?”

“Yeah, it’s to some private psychiatrist in Pennsylvania.”

“A private psychiatrist? Okay, give me a second.” Magnus said and continued typing.

Jace and Robert looked up to meet Alec’s eyes and shot an inquiring look towards Magnus, but Alec just shook his head as if to say ‘let him finish’, and so they did.

“Okay, should be secure now, Valentine won’t be able to hack into any internet searches made from this house. Can you do a run on the psychiatrist?”

Alec had never seen Magnus like this, in his element doing what he’d always done. Doing what he had a degree in. It was quite fascinating despite the current predicament and he couldn’t help the feeling of pride towards his genius boyfriend.

“Should have everything for you in a couple of minutes.” Jace stated while placing the laptop on the table and moving towards the kitchen, signalling for Alec to follow.

Once there, Jace made sure to see Magnus was out of hearing range. “Dude, don’t you think he’s going a bit too quick? I mean he like snapped at you.”

“I know, but I think we should just let him continue, maybe doing something is what he needs right now. I mean he’s been through so much shit and its like life won’t give him a break or something and I don’t blame him for wanting a distraction.”

“Yeah I get that, but like you said, it’s just a distraction. At the end of the day, he’s gonna have to deal with whatever emotion he’s feeling.”

“I know that, and deep down I think he knows that too. But we’re not going to be able to stop him from wanting to do something, wanting to fight for everything that he’s lost and if he needs to work with no thinking for a couple of hours then so be it, everyone has ways to blow off steam and maybe doing this is just his way.”

“Okay...okay, I hope you’re right.”

“Now, seeming as I can’t be of much assistance in there, I’m gonna make some coffee so go, see what your run came up with and I’ll be out soon.” Jace nodded and left, leaving Alec to make the drinks.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus knew he was cold when he spoke to Alec, and he knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want people asking if he was okay, he didn’t want sympathy or pity, he needed to do something. He needed to find Valentine and shut his operation down.

He was angry and hurt and confused, but there was no point dwelling on all his emotions, there was only one way to really overcome it all and that was to finish what his father started and he’d spent so long doing nothing, being oblivious and kept in the dark about it all that now he felt like there was no time to waste.

Alec came out carrying two mugs and passed one to his father before holding the other out to Magnus.

“Tea, Chamomile.”

“Thank you.” Magnus smiled, hopefully showing his apology for snapping at him earlier, and Alec smiled back then bent down to kiss Magnus’ temple.

“Nothing, there’s nothing here. He has no priors whatsoever.” Jace said as Alec returned to the kitchen, presumably to get his and Jace’s drinks.

“Well that nurse had nothing on her but she was still suspicious and her husband more so, maybe someone in his family might show up with something.” Robert wondered.

“Well, widowed last year and he has two children, 2 and 5. Other than that, no family and his receptionist is clean too, there’s no one else working in his office.” Jace declared and accepted the mug Alec held out to him.

The four of them sighed and slumped into their seats.

“What’s his name?”

“Andrew Janus.”

“Janus?”

“Janus.” Jace confirmed.

“Janus.” Magnus said once more, though this time it was to himself.

“Why are we saying Janus?” Alec asked, looking between the two.

“Wait!” Magnus shot up, almost spilling his tea everywhere.

“Wha-“

Alec was interrupted by the door opening as Maia, Isabelle and Maryse entered and Magnus stared at them with wide eyes.

“Mags? What’s wrong?” Izzy asked looking at him with concern, but Magnus wasn’t paying attention to her, he was staring right at Maia.

“Maia! Can I borrow your phone?” He spluttered and darted towards her.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She said a little hesitantly and passed it over.

“What’s going on guys?” Izzy inquired a little impatiently and Robert, Jace and Alec shrugged while they watched Magnus intently.

Magnus who was picking up the house phone.

Magnus who was dialling the number on the letter.

“Magnus, wait what are you doing?” Robert stood to stop Magnus from pressing the call button but to no avail, as it was on speaker and everyone heard the shrill ring.

It didn’t last long however as Magnus hung up immediately after, and moved to Alec, fishing his hands into his pockets.

“Magnus what ar-“

He pulled out Alec’s phone and dialled again, on speaker so everyone heard the ring once more before he hung up just like last time.

He then did the exact same with Maia’s phone, leaving it on speaker.

_“You’ve reached the office of Dr Andrew Janus; we are closed from the 23 rd December to 27th December for Christmas but please leave a message after the tone and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Happy Holidays!” _

Everyone was looking at Magnus as if he had three heads.

“Magnus? What is it?” Alec asked after a moment.

“Janus, it’s the God with two faces,” he began, “he gave this number because of the doctors name, not because the doctor has something to do with his stupid little game. Did you notice how when I used the house phone or your phone it just rang, but when I used Maia’s, it went straight to voicemail in the office without a ring?”

Magnus could see the moment Alec understood. “So, he’s using it as a cover? He’s like a second face to this Janus guy and if one of us calls from our numbers, we’re directed to his phone but if someone else calls like Maia, then it isn’t redirected?” Alec asked, although his tone was more like stating facts.

“Exactly.”

“Which means he can probably access anything on our phones.”

“Not just yours or the house one, probably the majority of us, with the exception of Maia since she and Isabelle only met recently and he doesn’t know about her...yet.”

“We need new phones, burners. All of us, including Clary and her family, Ragnor, Raph, Si and his family, even Maia now.” Alec declared.

“For real though, how can he do that?” Jace looked shocked out of his mind, as if Valentine being able to do this was incomprehensible. In fact, everyone apart from Magnus and Alec had that look.

“Sebastian mentioned they have tech experts on their side, not to mention all the eyes and ears they have in hospitals and the precinct. And this probably stretches far beyond the borders of New York.”

“Would they have been able to do this redirecting thing without the doctor knowing?” Robert inquired.

“It’s possible, but they would have needed access to their broadband so someone would have had to go into the office.”

“Okay, I’ll see if I can get their records over the past months of visitors and I’ll get us all burners. In the mean time, no one uses their phones to talk about any of this, got it?” Robert ordered and received a mixture of nods and hums.

“Sorry about that, uh, here.” Magnus handed his phone back to Maia.

“It’s okay, no worries.” She smiled and both Maryse and Izzy hugged Magnus, kissing his cheek before the three of them moved towards the kitchen, presumably to unpack the bags they were carrying.

It just hit Magnus that he couldn’t exactly go out like they had just done. Maybe he could with Robert in tow but not just him and Alec; they couldn’t go on a date to a restaurant or a movie or just a walk through the park. It felt oddly like he was being pushed back in the closet, forced to hide himself and his relationship from the world and only showing it to those closest to him.

“Magnus?” Jace called out and Magnus turned to face him after being pulled from his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“What do you wanna do? Like while we wait for dad to come back?” Magnus only just noticed that Robert had indeed left and it was just he, Jace and Alec left in the room.

He eyed his father’s laptop. He probably should work on it, figure out a way to open it and see what’s on there, but right now it was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt all his adrenaline from after reading the letter fade within an instant and all he wanted now was Alec. To just be with him.

“Uhm, can we take a break? Work on this later?” Magnus asked a little bashfully.

“Yeah, of course man, I’ll go and see Clary then. See you both later.” And then he was gone too.

“Magn-“

“Alexan-“

They both let out a chuckle. “You first.” Alec said.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you earlier. I was just...I don’t know. I’m just sor-“

“Magnus, it’s okay. Stop apologising.” Alec got up and moved closer to him, cupping his face in his hands. “I understand that you need to do this, and I’m sorry for pushing you to talk. I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to me when you need to, I’ll always be here to listen no matter what.”

“I know,” Magnus nodded, though it was a little difficult within the refinement of Alec’s hands, “I just, he’s acting like he’s the good guy and then goes saying all that stuff about me being naive and I just want to put a stop to it all and I’ve wasted so much time doing nothing that I felt like I had to do it all in one go. But clearly, this is gonna take some time, weeks maybe.” He sighed heavily.

“First of all, you’re not naive, Magnus. And that letter was a load of bullshit, don’t you even think for one second that we don’t love you. We all do, and I frankly don’t give a shit about the laptop or its contents. All I care about it how you feel, and I’m pretty sure all of us feel that way. And you don’t have to figure this all out right now, we’re gonna be with you the whole way no matter how long it takes and we’ll work together to stop him. You’re not alone on this Magnus, okay?”

“Okay.”

Though it was just a simple confirmation, both of them knew Magnus meant it.

“What do you want to do?” Alec asked, kissing Magnus’ forehead softly.

“I wanna go on a date.” Magnus blurted out without thinking and instantly regretted it by the apologetic look on Alec’s face. “No, I don’t-I mean, I do, but I understand that we can’t, and it’s okay. I’d rather be safe, and have you safe, and just, just forget that I said that. I didn’t mean it and-“

“Magnus, baby, shh.” Alec connected their lips in a slow, languid kiss. He pulled away and took Magnus’ wrist in his hand, checking the time on the watch that he always wore as it was his fathers. “Okay, it’s half 4, give me an hour tops and then I’ll be all yours, okay?”

“Wha-why can’t I have you now? What are you doing?”

“Just trust me, an hour at the most. Max is in his room so you can chill with him, or go to Iz and Maia or even my mom but just give me an hour.”

Magnus nodded and kissed Alec again before moving up the stairs to Max’s room and knocking on the door.

“Magnus, hey.”

“Hello.” Magnus smiled.

“What’s up?” Max patted the cushion next to him on the floor and Magnus complied, taking a seat beside him.

“Your brother is ditching me for an hour.”

“So I’m second choice?” Max teased.

“Pfft, no, just, uh...”

“I get it, you wanna be all smooshy face with Alec but Alec wants to do whatever and it’s most probably for you anyway because that boy is smitten and so I’m here to distract you, am I right?”

“Spot on.”

“Just Dance?”

“Fuck yeah, wait, shit, oops, uh, Alexander said no swearing.”

“Oh please, that’s just Alec being the grumpy older brother, I’ve heard far worse.”

Magnus didn’t question it as knowing would most probably be far worse, and so he let Max set the game up and stretched, ready to engage in what would be a very heated dance battle.

**Alec PV**

Alec’s heart crippled when Magnus said he wanted to go on a date, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to too, but they just couldn’t. And so Alec thought on the spot and got an idea, one that would hopefully satiate his boyfriend’s needs. He spent the next 40 minutes or so getting everything ready with some help from his mother, and then walked up to Max’s room, only to be stopped dead in his tracks at an unbelievably sexy sight.

Magnus was dancing amazingly - because obviously he was an amazing dancer, he was Magnus Bane, duh – and his shimmying round and firm but was making Alec’s imagination run wild, and this was far from inappropriate with his younger brother a mere few feet away from said amazing dancer, so Alec cleared his throat and hoped he didn’t look as flustered as he felt, and he sure as hell hoped he hadn’t just popped a boner because otherwise this would get beyond embarrassing.

Magnus checked his watch and grinned. “15 minutes to spare.” Alec just smiled sheepishly, still unable to make his brain function well enough to form a coherent sentence that wasn’t along the lines of ‘fuck me’ or ‘let’s have sex’.

“Well, my job here is done. Magnus, Alec, you can go make smooshy face now. But I want a rematch at some point.” Max smirked and gently pushed Magnus towards the door.

This seemed to snap Alec out of it, and he held out his hand which Magnus took instantly. “Thanks, Max.”

“Anytime, big bro. See you two later...maybe” And then the door was shut.

Magnus scoffed and shook his head, “Children.”

“Heard that!” Max shouted and both Magnus and Alec laughed.

“Well, as Max so eloquently put it, ready to go smooshy face?” Magnus smiled innocently but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I have something else in mind.”

“Well then, lead the way.”

Alec led them down the stairs and through the hallway to the back door, only just noticing that Magnus was in fact not wearing any shoes, so he lifted him into his arms and carried him outside to the little garage/cabin they had in the garden that he, Jace and Izzy used to use for game night.

They both shivered against the cold December air and Magnus snuggled up into Alec’s hold, only retreating a little once they reached inside and he gasped, his eyes lighting up at the sight.

The room that usually had a sofa in the middle and a table in front facing the wall with the TV, gaming systems and extensive game collection was completely transformed.

Alec had taken the table out and pushed the sofa back against the far wall and pulled out a spare mattress onto the floor, throwing on sheets, a duvet, fluffy blankets and an assortment of pillows. There was a tray with two bowls, a bottle of wine and a steaming pot of what looked to be chicken and basil pesto pasta and the whole room was filled with electrical candles - safety first in confined spaces – and fairy lights basking it in a warm glow with a romantic atmosphere.

“It’s not exactly a date like outside and stuff but I hope you like it.” Alec said a little bashfully, still carrying Magnus in his arms.

“Are you kidding? I love it! This is amazing, Alexander. I’ve never...no one’s ever done something like this before, no one’s ever been this romantic for me before you.”

“I would be angry that those people didn’t sweep you off your feet with all the cheesy, cliché romance, but I can’t because you might have stuck with them otherwise and we can’t have that.”

Magnus grinned. A big, wide grin that was far brighter than any of the lights in the room. “No, we can’t have that.” He agreed. “Now, are you going to carry me all night?”

“Right, no, sorry.” Alec chuckled and placed Magnus down on the make shift bed. “Okay, movie or music?”

“Movie, Pirates of the Caribbean marathon?”

“Definitely.”

Alec put the first film on and joined Magnus on the bed after handing him a bowl of pasta, taking one for himself too. They watched the first film while eating and drinking the wine and by the time they finished the second, they had indulged in dessert, brushed their teeth and changed into pyjamas only to jump back into bed in the solace within the cabin. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alec asked once they’d snuggled up next to each other, the room in darkness save for the glow coming from the single string of fairy lights that Alec had left on.

Magnus seemed to debate about it for a few seconds before nodding. “Okay.” He whispered.

And so Alec listened to Magnus’ stories about his family, about Halley and what she was like. He found out that she was quite like Izzy, and she was also within the medical and law enforcement field, studying biomedical sciences with a minor in forensics. He learnt more about hers and Magnus’ shared love for astronomy and how they would always go on shopping trips once a month, how they both loved to bake together or play scrabble on Saturday nights when neither of them could be bothered to go out. It was really nice to learn new things about Magnus and Alec could tell that it helped for Magnus to talk about her. He remembered all the good and happiness rather than the sadness, and that night, Magnus didn’t have a nightmare, he didn’t wake up crying or screaming her name, he just slept peacefully in Alec’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need your opinions! Do you want smut? Like an actual sex scene smut? Because apart from that once time in the bathroom, they haven't had sex after their reunion and I don't know if it will seem like wrong timing or anything so I tease it but put it off. What do you think? 
> 
> See you next time and thanks for reading! <3


	26. Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus visits the psychiatrist, there's a little bump in the road, and Magnus and Alec individually feel a whirlwind of emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read Tags! 
> 
> So every comment on my last chapter said yes to smut and I was gonna put it in this chapter (that was so not meant to be an innuendo but I'm not changing it now) but it was getting really long (wow, mehna, this is embarrassing) and so I'll probably add it in one of the next chapters. I'm so immature :/
> 
> This one is super feelsy and I have no idea why it turned out that way but I hope you like it anyway!  
> <3

**Alec PV**

Alec woke up to soft lips pressing against his neck, trailing down over his clothed chest.

“Magnus?” His voice was thick and rough with sleep.

“Hmm, good morning my love.” Magnus beamed at him and went back to kissing his chest while his slightly cold hands slipped under Alec’s shirt touching the bare skin of his abdomen.

“Magnus, no.”

“Magnus, yes.”

“Magnus, seriously, we don’t have time.” Alec protested but made no move to get Magnus off him, especially when he whined in defeat and dropped his head down.

He mumbled something, the sound muffled as his mouth was squished against Alec’s chest and it made him giggle.

“What was that baby?”

“What do we have to be ready for?” He asked a little more clearly.

“You have your appointment today, remember?” Alec reminded him and watched the way Magnus’ features tensed. “Hey, hey it’s okay. I’ll be there when you go in and when you come out.”

Magnus whined again and reluctantly got off Alec, flopping down face first onto the pillow instead, mumbling once more.

“I’m never going to be able to understand you like this Mags.” Alec chuckled and smiled when Magnus breathed out a heavy sigh and lifted his head to look Alec in the eyes.

“Can’t we reschedule?”

“We could, but you’re gonna have to go at some point baby. Are you nervous, is that why you don’t want to go?” Alec asked cautiously.

“No, I just, I really wanted to have sex.”

Alec was a little taken aback by Magnus’ blunt statement but managed to gather himself together to respond with a mature answer despite his inner turmoil on the subject. It was _very_ difficult to refuse Magnus, especially when said refusal was for sex.

“We can do that later, I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” Magnus asked with wide blown eyes, looking as innocent as an angel which was ironic if you thought about the topic of discussion.

“Pinky promise.” Alec reaffirmed and connected his pinky finger with Magnus’, leaning up to press a chaste kiss against his lips before getting up. “Now come on, let’s get ready.”

“Fine...”Magnus grumbled and held his arms out. “Carry me?”

Alec rolled his eyes but obliged anyway, lifting Magnus into his arms and making his way back into the house and to his room.

**Magnus PV**

“Hi, you must be Magnus.” Dr Emma Carstairs greeted and held out her hand to shake.

“Yeah, nice to meet you Dr Carstairs.” Magnus smiled returning the handshake.

“Likewise, and I’m sure you’ve had enough of saying ‘Dr Carstairs’ between me and Jem, so please call me Emma,” She smiled back and turned to face Alec and Robert, “and you must be Robert and Alec, pleasure to meet you both.”

They finished their introductions and Robert went to talk to Emma about paperwork before their session. Magnus was feeling a little nervous now. He hadn’t had to do something like this in almost 5 years and it was bringing back memories he’d rather forget.

Alec seemed to notice his anxiousness and took his hand in his own larger one, smiling reassuringly. “You’re going to be okay, Magnus. Dad and I will be right here when you come back.”

“Magnus? Come on in.” Emma called out and Magnus looked to Alec, quickly kissed his cheek and got up to enter the room.

It was comfy, that was the first thing he noticed. The other psychiatrists he’d seen had been within the hospital and so the actual environment wasn’t all that comforting. But here, there was a large sofa with an assortment of pillows, a desk, bookshelf and one chair on opposite the sofa, both seats separated by a coffee table that already had a steaming pot.

“Please, make yourself comfortable. Would you like any tea or coffee?” She asked.

Magnus thought about it for a second, it didn’t seem like a professional thing but then he’d never been somewhere like here before. He already had a feeling that this would prove to be better than the people he’d seen before. “Yes please, tea thank you.”

Once they had their drinks, she sat on the single chair and crossed one leg over the other, facing Magnus who was sat on the sofa, his back tense and posture stiff.

“I know it can be extremely difficult to talk to someone who you don’t know, especially with something so personal, so I understand if you’re not ready to talk about anything today or even on our next appointment. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, or you can tell me about yourself, what you enjoy doing or about Alec, is he is your boyfriend?”

Magnus visibly relaxed and slumped back into the sofa, happy that she wouldn’t force him to talk about anything he wasn’t ready for yet. But Alec? He could talk about Alec forever. “Yeah, he is.”

“He seems like a lovely young man, Jem mentioned how close you two were. Have you been together long?”

“We met just over two months ago, but it feels like longer.” Magnus admitted.

“That tends to happen when it’s someone special.” She smiled and Magnus nodded, knowing very well how special Alec was.

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Some of your hobbies perhaps?”

And so Magnus told her about his degree, about astronomy, even about cooking and how he had learnt from his mother but she didn’t press further into his family which Magnus appreciated. The hour and half passed by in no time and by the end of it, Magnus felt like he could trust her and he felt much more comfortable with her which he deemed as improvement, even if he didn’t open up about anything.

**Alec PV**

“Son, stop fidgeting, he’ll be okay.” Robert patted Alec’s leg to stop it from shaking.

“But, it’s been so long, and what if she forces him to talk about something he’s not comfortable with? What if he starts crying? What if he has a panic attack? What if she’s not a nice person? What if she works for Valentine and is secretly trying to convert him or something? Like I know Magnus wouldn’t go to them but what if she’s evil? What if sh-“

“Alec, will you calm down?” Robert said a little exasperated.

Alec was about to open his mouth but shut it promptly when the door to Emma’s office opened and Magnus walked out with a little smile on his handsome face.

He shot up from his seat a little too quickly, making him feel a little light headed, and startled both Robert and Magnus.

“Alec, it’s fine, he’s okay.” Robert assured and Alec nodded, seeing that in fact Magnus was okay and he smiled when Magnus walked over to him.

“I’ll see you on the 3rd Magnus. Have a good New Years guys!” Emma smiled and walked back into her office.

“Hi” Alec breathed out, and mentally slapped himself. ‘Hi’? That’s all he had to say?

“Hi.”Magnus smiled and reached out for Alec’s hand. Alec intertwined their fingers and they followed Robert out of the reception and straight to the car.

“Was she nice?” Alec asked tentatively once they were seated.

“Yeah, really nice. Different from the people I’ve seen before.”

“Good, that’s good.” Alec relaxed at hearing Magnus’ words, glad that he was in good hands.

They all fell into a comfortable silence and Alec watched out of the window while he absentmindedly played with Magnus’ hand and the rings adorning his long fingers. He watched all the cars, all the people going about their day and wondered what they were thinking or doing. If they had something just as intense going on in their lives, or if they had someone that they loved as much as Alec loved Magnus. If they had been through as much pain and heartbreak as Magnus had.

Through his thoughts, he noticed a black SUV next to them with blacked out windows, and when they took a right, so did the SUV, and when they took a left, so did the SUV.

“Dad?” Alec broke the silence and Robert hummed to say Alec had his attention. Alec looked around the streets, getting his bearings before saying “take the next right.”

Robert obliged and Alec saw that the SUV was behind them now. “Right again.” He ordered and once again Robert took a right.

It was still there, right behind them. “The next one.”

“What’s going on Alec? We’re going home, nowhere else.” Robert said sternly but still turned right. Magnus was looking at Alec with concerned and questioning eyes.

“One more right.” He ignored his father’s questions and watched as the car was still behind them and they had returned to the main road they had started at. “We’re being followed. We just took four rights, a circle, and that black SUV is still behind us, so unless they’re lost, which I highly doubt they are, they’re following us.” Alec declared rather coldly, feeling anger boil inside of him at the lengths Valentine was going to and the invasion of privacy.

“Write down their number plate.” Robert ordered in an authoritative tone and Alec fumbled in the back pocket of the chair in front of him and fished out a newspaper and pen, writing down the plate on a blank space. “The fuckers already know where we live so we’ll just head home and run the plate there.” He stated, and sped up a little only to come to a screeching halt when a car pulled out of a drive way causing the SUV to bump into the back of their car lightly. “Shit. You boys okay?” He asked as he undid is seatbelt and opened his door. Alec mumbled a yeah and rubbed the back of his head where he bumped it against the seat a little. “Stay in the car.” He commanded and left the two of them.

Only then did Alec notice that Magnus was shaking, his lower lip trembling and breathing erratic.

“Magnus?” Alec whispered, undoing his seatbelt and moving closer to Magnus, gently placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Magnus, baby are you hurt?”

There were unshed tears in his eyes and he was struggling to breathe now, Alec realised he was having a panic attack.

“This isn’t real. This isn’t real.” Magnus mumbled to himself and clenched his eyes shut.

“Baby I need you to look at me. Open your eyes. It’s me, Alec, I’m here. You’re safe, I’m right here.”

Magnus slowly opened his eyes and had tears streaming down freely. “This is real Magnus, and you’re safe. Nothing is going to hurt you. I promise, nothing’s going to hurt you.”

“Ale-Alexander?” Magnus trembled and looked down to his hands, muttering something that Alec couldn’t quite understand until he realised he was counting his fingers but to no avail as he was still struggling to breathe properly. Alec knew what Magnus was doing though and knew how to help.

“Magnus, look at me. Count with me, okay?”

Magnus looked up and met Alec’s gaze through his teary eyes and nodded. Alec flicked up his index finger from one of his closed fists that were raised in front of Magnus.

“One.” They both said together, and Alec continued until he had reached five, beginning with his other hand now.

“Six.” Magnus murmured.

“That’s it baby, keep going.” Alec encouraged, noticing how Magnus’ breathing was calming down and his tears were beginning to slow.

Alec held up his last finger and watched as Magnus said ‘ten’ before exhaling sharply and slumping back into his seat, closing his eyes briefly.

“Thank you.” He whispered after a moment.

Alec just shook his head and held his arms open for Magnus. “Come here.” And Magnus accepted the embrace, clutching on tightly to Alec’s coat.

“I...it felt like it was 7 years ago, when I-me and Mom...the accident.” Magnus said barely above a whisper and Alec understood immediately.

Before he could say anything though, Robert opened the door and looked worriedly between Alec and Magnus. “Is everything okay?” He asked, placing a comforting hand on Magnus’ back.

Magnus pulled back from Alec’s embrace and smiled, wiping his cheeks with the sleeves of his coat and nodded. “Yeah, I-I’m okay now.”

Robert looked to Alec as if to double check and Alec gave a single nod, still not convinced that Magnus was okay but accepting that he didn’t want to talk in that moment.

“Who was in the car?” Magnus asked and Robert sighed.

“Well I tried to ask for a name and credentials but he uh-” Robert paused and looked at Magnus before continuing, “-he poisoned himself. Cyanide.”

“What?” Both Magnus and Alec exasperated.

“I’ve called it in; I just gotta wait till someone gets here and we’ll see if we can get anything from the car.”

“They’ve never done that before though.” Alec argued.

“I know, I guess Valentine wants to make sure no one can get information about him from anyone who’s caught.”

“But why would they so blindly follow him? And willingly give up their lives just for him?” Magnus wondered.

“I don’t know. Money? Or maybe he has a family and they were possibly threatened? We know by now that Valentine has no boundaries or moral code.” Robert suggested.

“It’s sickening.” Magnus mumbled just as they heard police sirens approaching.

“Stay in the car and try to make sure no one sees you, especially Magnus.” Robert said and shut the door.

“Do you think that’s how he gets people to cooperate? By threatening the people they love?” Magnus quavered.

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“What...what if he does that to me? Threatens the people I love to get me to work with him. Threatens you?” Magnus’ voice cracked and Alec instantly wrapped his arms around Magnus again.

“I can’t say for sure what he’s gonna do, but it would be a dick move. If he threatens us, he’ll lose you. It’s not like you’d work for the psychopath if he harmed one of us and I think he knows that, so any threats would be empty. As much as I hate to say it, you’re like the winning pawn for him and trust me, I want to kill him with my bare hands for wanting to use you like that, but you’re too valuable to him and I think he’s smart enough to know you wouldn’t even consider his offer if he hurt any of us.”

Magnus sighed heavily, seemingly accepting Alec’s words. “I hate him.”

“Me too. I wouldn’t hesitate one second to kill that bastard.”

“Don’t go getting yourself arrested, I need you.” Magnus teased, but there was seriousness behind his tone too.

“I need you too, I’m not going to leave you baby. I promise.” Alec placed his finger under Magnus’ chin and lifted his head to press their lips together softly.

“Pinky promise?” Magnus waggled his eyebrows with a smirk, clearly referring to their earlier pinky promise and Alec chuckled, happy to see Magnus smile and tease him.

“Pinky promise.” He whispered and kissed him again.

**Magnus PV**

After Magnus’ impromptu panic attack, Robert drove them all home and they were instantly bombarded with worried expressions and questions.

After eating some lunch, Magnus spent some time with Izzy, Max and Maryse while Robert, Jace and Alec went to the precinct to get records from Andrew Janus’ visitor log. Magnus was reluctant to part with Alec but he knew he’d be safe with Robert and Jace so he tried not to think about it too much.

“Let’s start this trash TV marathon!” Isabelle chirped and Max groaned, rolling his eyes in the process. It was incredible how alike he and Alec were. The resemblance was uncanny.

“Iz, please, no more reality show crap. Can we please watch something good for once?” He protested.

“But project runway?” She pouted and Magnus let out a little giggle.

“Isabelle, I love you, but I really don’t think project runway is Max’s scene so we’ll have to hold off on that marathon.”

“Thank you!” Max exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air.

“Fine.” She grumbled and flopped down next to Magnus, curling up into his side under the ginormous fluffy blanket.

“So how about Daredevil?”

“No way Max, something else.” Izzy huffed and Magnus watched the two of them with an amused expression.

“Why don’t we watch that new Disney one with the girl and the sea?” Maryse asked as she entered the living room carrying a tray of tea and coffee for them all.

“Moana?” Max suggested.

“Yeah, that one.” Maryse nodded and sat down on the other side of Magnus.

“Okay.” Both Izzy and Max said and the same time, seeming to come to a mutual agreement.

The film started and Magnus paid attention for all but 20 minutes before he started thinking back to the events of the day.

His anger for Valentine only grew more fierce after finding that they were being followed so obviously and then said follower committed suicide for some psychopathic maniac that just wanted to control everything and was a greedy, selfish prick.

He loathed Valentine, and Magnus was usually someone who at least tried to see the good in people. Even when he was under the assumption that Robert had killed his father, he didn’t hate him like he did Valentine.

Magnus was becoming increasingly worried that Valentine would resort to drastic measures to get him to help once he realised the letters weren’t working. For him, it wasn’t a matter of _if,_ but a matter of _when._ It was as if he could feel something bad brewing and he couldn’t help but feel a little useless at not being able to prevent whatever it was that Valentine was planning.

His father had said that he would be able to fix it, but he didn’t even know what ‘ _it’_ was and it was dawning on him that he might end up disappointing his father, disappointing Alec, and Robert, and everyone for that matter.

Eventually, his thoughts simmered down and he fell asleep, having not noticed his exhaustion until it hit him full force.

**Alec PV**

Alec didn’t want to part from Magnus after his panic attack but he had to give a statement about the little accident. Robert decided it would be best to leave Magnus out of it considering they knew for a fact that there were still people in the precinct that worked for Valentine.

He felt like a terrible person by the end of writing his statement since he couldn’t exactly tell the full truth and he hated lying, even if it was necessary. Saying that they were being followed because some criminal boss wanted his boyfriend and was stalking their every move would gain a lot more attention than they needed, so Robert opted to leave that part out.

He was sat waiting in his father’s office, eyeing everyone suspiciously and shaking his leg furiously. Robert was on the phone with the receptionist of Andrew Janus’ office while Jace was seeing if they could get an ID on the stalker. All Alec wanted to do though was go home to Magnus.

He seemed so shaken up by the accident, and he never talked about what happened 7 years ago with his Mom but Alec could imagine today must have bought back the worst memories. His heart was aching painfully in his chest. He just wanted to wrap Magnus up in his arms and hide him away from all the pain and evil in the world, it seemed like some cosmic joke that he was being put through so much and Alec had so much anger and frustration towards anything and everything for even causing the slightest bit of harm to Magnus.

“They said they’re going to email it over to me.” Robert said, brining Alec out of his thoughts about how many ways he could cause Valentine pain.

“Is that such a good idea?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow and Robert breathed a heavy, distressed sigh.

“It’s either that, or we drive to his office and collect it ourselves, and we don’t have that kind of time right now.”

Alec nodded in understanding and slumped down into his chair.

There was a knock on the door and Alec perked up, hoping to see Jace so they could go home but only feeling a wave of intense anger at the sight of Hodge.

How that fucker had the audacity to smile like that at them despite everything he’s done, Alec would never know.

“Robbie!” He exclaimed cheerfully and Alec noticed the way his father flinched at the name. Alec clearly wasn’t the only one having violent thoughts directed straight towards the traitor. “It’s good to see you, been a while since I’ve seen you in here.” 

Hodge walked up to Robert and hugged him and Alec cringed at how natural it looked. His father was playing along with the act that of not knowing Hodge’s betrayal and Alec was wondering if Hodge knew he knew, or if he was that blind and thick that he believed Robert was still his friend.

“And you, Hodge.” Robert smiled, albeit a little forcefully.

“So what are you doing here? I thought you were working from home?” Hodge asked.

“Oh, I had a little altercation on the road and just needed to get an ID on the victim, and Alec here needed to write a statement.” Robert gestured to where Alec was sat and Hodge turned, only just noticing his presence in the room.

“Were you guys hurt?” There was a slight tone of concern in his voice, and Alec briefly wondered if he imagined it or not.

Robert shook his head just as Jace walked into the room, and Alec immediately noticed the rage in his eyes as well as his fists balling, so he jumped into action.

“Jace! Mom needs to speak to you, come on. Meet you by the car Dad, bye Hodge.” Alec ushered Jace out of the office and towards the exit of the precinct, not waiting for a response.

“Dude you need to calm down. I’m angry, hell, I’m fucking furious, but we can’t let it show.” Alec said once they were outside.

“I know, I know. Sorry. I just-God that fucker, how he just waltzes about like he isn’t some conniving little bitch. God I want to just-ugh.” Jace made a gesture with his hands, vaguely looking like strangling someone and Alec hummed in agreement. How he wished he could.

He never knew he was such a violent person until it came to protecting Magnus. Protecting his family.

“Did Dad get the records?” Jace asked to change the subject.

“Yeah, they’re emailing them over to him. You get an ID?”

“Yeah, someone called Axel Mortmain, corporate lawyer. He has a wife, Holly, and an 8 year old little girl, Robin. His mother, Anne Shade, is in a retirement home in New Jersey. That’s all the known family.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep.”

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, both too engrossed in their own thoughts until Jace hesitantly spoke up.

“Did, uh, Hodge say anything? About Mags?”

Alec shook his head. “No, no he didn’t. I’m taking an educated guess on that he knows Magnus is with us, and if he asked about him then it would blow his cover. Even just brining him up would be a risky move.”

Jace nodded in agreement. “Do you think he knows that we know he works with Valentine?”

“To be completely honest, I’m not sure. He’s a terrific actor if he does because not once did he act different to how he used to. It was like, bone chilling to know he’s always been that way yet he was working with the enemy right under our nose. I mean we let him in our house. We looked up to him. He met Magnus, God at that party, the night Mags left, he talked to Hodge and he looked so uncomfortable and I didn’t even pick up on it. This is such a mess, a fucking shit show.” Alec sighed and buried his head in his hands.

“He’ll get what’s coming to him, Alec. Everyone misplaces their trust; don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s not your fault.” Jace patted his back comfortingly.

“Ready boys?” Robert spoke up behind them and they shot to their feet. Alec was very restless and practically ran to the car, eager to just get home now.

***

Alec barged through the front door and felt some of his anger and frustration dissipate as was met with a sight that made him freeze in his steps, Jace and Robert both bumping into him from behind at his sudden halt.

“Ale-“ Jace started but cut himself off with a small smile once he looked into the living room.

Magnus, Maryse, Izzy and Max were all sat on the sofa in front of the TV however Magnus was sleeping adorably. His head was resting in Maryse’ lap while she tenderly ran her fingers through his hair, his legs were curled up and half on Izzy’s lap while she, Maryse and Max watched whatever movie was playing.

“Hello, boys.” Maryse greeted when she saw them, not stopping her hand movements and pressing a chaste kiss to Robert’s lips when he walked over. “Did you manage to get anything?”

Robert nodded, “Yeah, I’ll tell you about it in a minute. Let me just go get my laptop.” He walked upstairs to his office and Alec walked over to the sofa, kneeling on the floor beside Magnus.

“Has he been asleep long?” He whispered.

“About an hour or so.” She smiled.

Alec leant forward and softly kissed Magnus’ forehead before getting up.

“You okay, big brother?” Izzy asked, mildly concerned. She was always able to see through him like an open book.

“Yeah, just-“He sighed heavily, “-we saw Hodge.” Maryse, Izzy and Max grimaced.

“What did he say?” Max asked after a moment and Alec recalled their whole conversation while the three of them listened intently.

“Asshole.” Isabelle sneered and Alec nodded in agreement, feeling his anger boil once again as he clenched his fists.

“Alec...” Jace said softly as he gently placed a hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Why don’t you change and we can spar for a bit, or punch. Your choice.”

Alec was tired. He just wanted to curl up with Magnus and sleep, but there was so much emotion flowing through him that he felt restless at the same time, and letting it out on a punching bag didn’t seem like such a bad idea right now. He could easily picture Valentine’s, Sebastian’s, or Hodge’s face.

“Okay. I’ll meet you there in two minutes.” Alec said and placed a kiss to Magnus’ cheek before making his way up to his room just as Robert was coming down. “Did they send it?” Robert nodded. “Jace and I are gonna work out for a bit but I’ll come and help after.”

“It’s okay, take your time.” Robert smiled in understanding and continued walking downstairs.

Alec quickly changed into a tank top, shorts and trainers before heading to their gym room. He hadn’t done any kind of physical activity like this in so long and he felt a little excitement run through him at the prospect.

He met Jace inside and walked over to him, accepting the hand wrap.

“You got a lot of anger, bro.” Jace said cautiously.

“Some psychopath murderer manipulated my boyfriend; used him for whatever sick game; caused him so much pain; killed his father; probably had a part in his sister’s death and this point I’m surprised he wasn’t part of the accident that killed Magnus’ Mom and put him in a fucking coma; and now he wants my boyfriend’s allegiance and is having us followed everywhere. Hodge betrayed us, Sebastian is a fucking piece of shit, practically everyone is jumping in bed with Valentine now, and we don’t even know what he’s planning or what it is that he actually wants. And on top of that, the person I love is hurting, and has suffered so much and keeps having to go through more pain and I don’t know what to do to stop it, so yeah, I’m fucking angry.” Alec burst out, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation.

Jace just nodded and patted Alec’s arm. “Good, say what you feel and let it all out.” He guided him over to the punching bag and held it in place, indicating for Alec to throw a punch.

Alec hesitated for about two seconds, before punching the bag with all he had and he felt an energising bolt run through him.

“I hate him! I fucking hate him!” He yelled and threw punch after punch.

“Keep going.” Jace grunted as the force from a punch pushed him back a little, but he stood strong and grounded himself once again.

“Who the fuck - does he think - he is? Why can’t – he just fuck off – fucking – selfish twat.” Alec growled out between punches

It went on like this for another 20 minutes, Alec not once taking a break and Jace taking it all in stride until Alec finally threw a last punch and slumped against the bag, panting heavily.

“I just want to keep him safe.” He admitted in a whisper.

“I know buddy, and you will. We all will.” Jace said comfortingly and Alec nodded, accepting that they will all do everything in their power to keep Magnus safe.

“Wanna spar?” Jace asked and Alec nodded, a ghost of a smile crossing his lips.

“Come on, get your frustration out.” They walked over to the mats and bowed to each other. It wasn’t strictly necessary but after watching Enter the Dragon, they both made some silent pact to do it every time and it’s stuck ever since.

Before Alec knew it, 40 minutes had passed and he felt much better. They both landed some pretty heavy punches and it was a close call, 4-3 to Alec, which he was surprised about since normally it was Jace who would win the most.

They were both lying on the floor, Alec’s arms and legs spread like a starfish, and attempting to catch their breath.

“Dude, if I had known you were gonna be like some next level ninja, I wouldn’t have agreed to this. This is gonna look nasty.” Jace grumbled and placed a hand to his side where Alec had accidentally hit him quite hard causing a painful bruise.

Alec turned his head to the side to face him and furrowed his brows. “You can’t talk; look what you did to me!” Alec protested, pointing to his forearm where there was a purplish looking mark, and then lifted his t-shirt and pointed to his side where the Toy Story quote lay, signalling at the big red mark there. “Dick.” They both chuckled breathlessly.

“Speaking of,” Jace started, “I should have just told Magnus to have sex with you to let out your frustration. At least I could have avoided your abuse.”

“Really? I thought I’m supposed to be, and I quote, ‘pure and virginal’?”

Jace groaned and made a face as if he was in deep pain with the subject. “You are, but, as Magnus has made me very aware, I know you guys have sex. So, I’m just looking out for myself here and then I’ll forget we had this conversation.”

“Fair enough, I’ll just ask him to fuc-“

“La la la la la!” Jace shoved his hands over his ears, “I can’t hear you, la la la.”

“Fine, fine! Shut up man, so of key.” Alec snickered and leant over to slap him on the arm but was too exhausted and just ended up patting him.

“Thank you.” He said after a moment of silence, all teasing gone from his tone.

“You’re welcome.” Jace smiled and they both fell into a comfortable silence as they attempted to regain enough strength to stand up.

Alec didn’t know how much time had passed but the door to the room opened and Magnus walked in, looking as adorable as ever with his hair sleep ruffled and wrapped in a blanket, a sleepy smile on his face.

“Hey, are you both oka- Alexander! What happened to you?” Magnus asked, eyes wide blown as he rushed over and knelt by Alec’s side, gently placing his hand on the reddening patch that was still revealed as Alec hadn’t bothered to lower his top down.

Alec chuckled lightly but winced a little at Magnus’ cold hands, “I’m okay, Magnus, just a little bruise.”

Magnus turned to glare at Jace, but there was no real malice behind it. “I can’t believe you hit my boyfriend, or more importantly, your brother!”

“Hey! Don’t give me that! Look what he did to me!” Jace protested and lifted his own shirt to show the bruise that looked far worse than Alec’s, it was now a mixture or purple and angry red.

“Alexander!” Magnus turned back to look at Alec while trying to stifle a laugh. “You both are insufferable.” He said fondly while shaking his head. “Do you need some ice or something?”Magnus asked looking between both Alec’s and Jace’s naked stomachs.

Before either of them could answer, Izzy walked in with Max in tow. “Why are you idiots showing Magnus your abs? Is this some kind of contest?” She asked as they both sat down on the floor too, paying no attention to the bruises as they were used to it by now.

“If it was, I know who’d win. Sorry blondie.” Magnus said with a shrug.

“Please, like you both have a chance; Magnus would wipe the floor with you both.” Izzy stated bluntly.

“Excuse me?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow while Jace yelled a “Hey!” in protest. Magnus and Max however just looked amused.

 “What? You know it’s true. I mean look at him.” Izzy gestured to Magnus while completely ignoring Jace’s scowl.

“Yeah, of course it’s true. But how do you know how good his abs are?” Alec inquired.  

“I’ve seen them once or twice.” She said with a wave of her hand.

Alec protectively reached for Magnus’ hand that was still gently on his side over the bruise.

“Relax, would you.” She giggled and poked his cheek. “I’m simply admiring Magnus’ physique; you should be proud, not all grumpy.”

“Shut up.” He mumbled.

“Well, Mom’s making dinner but do you guys wanna play Just Dance or something after?” She asked while getting to her feet again.

“Yeah, I still want that rematch.” Max confessed.

As much as Alec loved watching Magnus dance - and he meant _loved –_ he really didn’t feel like it. All this talk about Magnus’ abs was making him only want one thing and maybe Jace was right, sex would help. Not that he felt as angry now, but he still wouldn’t pass it up. He thought of a way to politely decline but Magnus beat him to it.

“I think your brother has exerted himself enough for one day.” His tone was laced with concern, but Alec noticed the glint in his eyes that suggested he wouldn’t disagree for a little more _exertion_ , and he knew Izzy saw it if the smirk plastered on her face was anything to go by.

“I know that’s code for ‘No thank you, we’re going to have sex instead’, don’t think you’ve fooled me Bane.” She grinned.

“Izzy!” Both Jace and Alec exasperated.

“I get it big brother, you’re sexually frustrated.” She teased further and Jace groaned miserably while Alec just glared at her.

“Can we not talk about Alec’s sex life, please? I really don’t need this right now.” Jace grumbled.

“Or lack of, I’m sure Magnus will fix that soon though.” Izzy winked at Magnus.

“Okay that’s it.” Alec shot up and winced a little at the sudden light-headedness and pain from his side, but pushed a reluctant and protesting Isabelle out of the room.

“Make sure you fuck the grumpiness out of him Magnus! He could do with being a little less grouchy all the time.” She called out over her shoulder and Alec clamped his hand over her mouth as he continued trying to push her out of the room.

“Izzy for the love of God! Our little brother is in the room!” Alec complained.

“Yeah Iz! I don’t need to hear about Magnus fuc-doing inappropriate things with Alec.” Jace grimaced.

“I meant Max you dumbass!” Alec looked back at Jace with a look that perfectly said ‘for real?’ and Izzy, Max and Magnus burst into fits of laughter.

“I hate you all.” Jace deadpanned and stormed out with a tiny scowl as even Alec joined in on the laughter.  

**Magnus PV**

Magnus woke up feeling warm and comfortable while his head lay on someone’s lap and delicate fingers stroked through his hair. He smelt a faint scent of vanilla and was instantly filled with a wave of nostalgia.

“Mom?” He called out, voice a little croaky from sleep, while blinking his eyes open.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

It didn’t sound like his mother, and before Magnus could even comprehend what just happened, the body he was leaning on tensed and the fingers stopped their trail.

Magnus looked up to see Maryse looking a little shocked, and he realised he just called her ‘Mom’ and instantly felt guilty.

“I’m so sor-I didn’t mean to say that. So-“

“No...no, it’s okay honey.” She smiled warmly and kindly down at Magnus and he could see her eyes watering a bit. He could feel his own eyes watering too.

He didn’t realise up until now, but he saw her as a mother figure, and calling her ‘Mom’ felt right, not weird in any way at all. It was strange, because he would have never thought he’d be able to say that again to someone and mean it after his mother died, especially without feeling incredibly hollow and insensitive for saying it, but just now, it made his chest feel all tingly and his heart swell up in joy at the idea of being able to have someone like that in his life again. Someone who would love him like a mother would, someone who would be there and comfort him like a mother and let him fall asleep on them, just like Maryse did. And if just the thought didn’t make his heart stop beating, what Maryse said next definitely did:

“You...you can call me that...if you want of course. I don’t mean it out of disrespect for your mother in any way at all but I-I don’t mind you calling me that.” She said a little cautiously as if she would hurt Magnus’ feelings, but all he felt was immense happiness and love, so he shifted himself into an upright position and wrapped his arms around her neck, letting his silent tears fall.

She immediately weaved one hand around Magnus’ back and the other to cradle his head as a few tears slipped down her cheek too.

Magnus felt the sofa dip slightly as someone else sat next to them and he pulled back a little to see Robert’s eyes had a few tears in them too.

“You’re just as much of a son to us as Alec, Jace or Max,” He said with such honesty that Magnus thought his heart was literally going to burst out of his chest. “We love you, Magnus.”

And he broke.

Magnus pulled them both back into a hug and smiled so wide that his whole face started to hurt. “I love you too.”

***

After Magnus had calmed down a bit, he sat and talked with Robert and Maryse about everything and nothing before going to see Alec and Jace in the gym room where he was joined by Isabelle and Max, and he couldn’t get the smile off his face no matter how hard he tried.

They all sat together and had dinner that evening and it was so carefree. It felt perfectly normal, as if they had been doing this for years, and Magnus couldn’t bring himself to care about what happened earlier that day or all of the things still going on because in that moment, he was happier than he had been in such a long time that it was almost overwhelming to the point where he wanted to laugh, cry, scream and shout all at the same time.

He never realised how he forgot what having parents felt like, and as much as they all had said that he was part of the family and that they all loved him before, he hadn’t truly accepted it until that moment.

He had Alec, his Alexander, who he was irrevocably in love with and was more that certain that he would spend the rest of his life with. He had Isabelle, Jace and Max, three people who were just as much of a sibling as Halley was. He had Clary, who would inevitably become his sister in law at some point. He had Catarina, Ragnor, and Raphael, who had helped him through one of the darkest times in his life and to this day still remained as his closest friends that were basically just more siblings. He even had Simon, Maia and Tessa.

Life had taken so much away from him but he knew how much he just gained. And sure, the reasons for having all of these people in his life weren’t exactly the cheeriest, but that didn’t matter because they all loved him and he loved them, and he knew that no matter what happened with Valentine and the future, nothing could change that simple fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my culture, when you marry into a family, you call your significant other's parents 'mum' and 'dad' too and I thought it would be a nice touch to this story so I hope it's not too weird for those who aren't used to it :) 
> 
> Also, I passed 100,000 words on this story and I can't express how much it means to me that you guys still read and comment and kudos and ahh my heart is going to melt. Thank you so, so much! <3


	27. Pinky Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec fulfills one of his promises and Magnus makes one of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh this chapter did not turn out how I planned but I hope you like it anyway! I'll talk more in the end notes so I don't ruin anything :)

**Alec PV**

“Alright, Will here has gone through the appointment records and taken out those from the footage so we’ve got everyone who wasn’t there for a reason on camera.” Robert said as he sat down with some popcorn on the sofa.

Alec was sat with his legs stretched out on the table in front of the TV; Magnus sprawled next to him with his head resting in Alec’s lap.

“How long is the footage?” Magnus asked.

“About an hour and 40 minutes.”

No one said anything then. Nothing needed to be said. This process was going to be tedious, to say the least.

“We don’t have to get through it all tonight; it’s been a hectic day with the accident and everything but may as well start somewhere.” Robert explained and got more comfortable next to Jace and Max. Alec had no idea why Max was giving up his evening to watch this, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Why have you got popcorn?” Max asked into the silence.

“Why not? This is going to take a while, may as well make some fun out of it.”

Alec couldn’t argue with that.

“Do you want anything?” Alec mumbled looking down at Magnus.

He thought about it for a second before seeming to decide, and nodded. “Yeah, can I have those gingerbread men things? Not the ones that Izzy made though, please.”

Alec chuckled fondly and gently shifted Magnus out of his lap, getting up in the process. “Tea?” Magnus nodded with a hint of a smile. Alec then turned to Max and Jace, “Do you guys want anything?”

“I wouldn’t say no to some gingerbread men.” Jace shrugged and Max hummed in approval, so Alec made his way to attend to their needs.

When had he become such a domestic person?

When he returned with two steaming mugs of tea and two packets of said gingerbread men, he tossed one packet over to his brothers and reclaimed his previous position on the couch, however Magnus sat up to eat and drink and snuggled into Alec’s side rather than resting his head in his lap.

“Ready?”

“Yep. Let’s do this.”

Robert pressed play on the remote and they were met with the reception of Andrew Janus’ office. It was weird that they were making it into some makeshift movie night with snacks and all, but they had almost two hours of footage to go through so just as Robert had said earlier, may as well make it as less boring as possible.

The footage was silent, but an endless amount of strangers walked in and out and Magnus kept close watch to see if he recognised them while everyone else were looking for suspicious activity.

Isabelle was with Maia and Clary in her room, probably talking over wedding arrangements. Alec didn’t realise all that started so soon after getting engaged, but he couldn’t really blame them. If it were he in that position, he wouldn’t want to waste a second not being married to Magnus. In fact, he would marry him right this instant, but with everything going on it wasn’t the time to be whipping out engagement rings, let alone a wedding ceremony and vows.

Alec’s gaze flickered to his side where Magnus was watching the screen and he couldn’t help but wish that it was okay to propose. Granted their relationship hadn’t even passed the three month mark and they had only said ‘I love you’ a week ago, but Alec had never felt so right with someone.

Magnus was it for him, and no amount of time would change that fact. Alec knew right from the beginning that what he had with Magnus could never be replaced and he would never dream of doing so.

He dreamed to marry him, to buy a house with him and do all the domestic thing couples did without having some maniac trying to ruin their lives. He dreamed of starting a family with Magnus and going home to him every day, kissing him and making love to him. Going on dates with him and showering him with affection because that’s what Magnus deserved. And Alec would die before he let anyone deprive him from that. No way was he going to let Valentine ruin this for them, and once this bullshit was over, Alec knew he was going to make a start on making that dream a reality. Making it their future.

“The screen’s over there.” Magnus whispered and Alec was promptly startled from his thoughts about how he could propose and what kind of ring would be suitable, because it was Magnus Bane and Alec wouldn’t even dare to propose with something that wasn’t to his amazing fashionable standards.

“Sorry.” He muttered and kissed Magnus’ temple before fixing his attention back on the footage.

**Magnus PV**

This was by far the last thing he wanted to be doing.

He wanted to crawl into bed with Alec and shower him with kisses, wanted to love him in every way possible and yet here he was watching people walk in and out of a building trying to look for something that he didn’t even know if he’d find.

Robert had said they could do it another time, but Magnus knew putting it off wasn’t an option so he put on his game face and agreed to watch it in hopes to get through it all and find something that would help them.

So far, it was a complete bust. And Magnus’ eyes were drooping.

Today had been exhausting in more ways than one. Starting with the appointment with Dr Carstairs, followed by the accident and panic attack, then the evening talking with Maryse and Robert and trying to make sure Alec was really okay after whatever he did with Jace.

Magnus could tell he was tense and angry but he didn’t know what at, and he wanted to kiss away the little frown that hadn’t seemed to move from his face but it would have to wait. They needed to see if they could get anything from the footage and as much as he just wanted to give up and give into falling asleep, they had to do it.

So to take his mind off his exhaustion, he straightened up and picked up his father’s laptop. He may as well see if he can find something that would help open it while looking at the video.

“Are you okay?” Alec whispered into his ear.

“Yeah, I just...I’m gonna fall asleep if I’m just watching, I need to do something.”

“Do me.” Alec responded without hesitation and then his eyes blew wide in shock, “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that. Ignore me. Fuck, I-what the fuck.”

Magnus was speechless. What was he supposed to say to that? Before he could decide though, Alec spoke.

“Seriously, ignore that. Uh, so you gonna see if you can open that?” He gestured vaguely towards the laptop held beneath Magnus’ tight grip, and Magnus just nodded, not willing to trust his ability to form coherent sentences. “Okay, good. That’s uh, good. Yeah.” Alec quickly averted his gaze to the TV which now was showing an elderly woman walking in with a little girl.

Magnus chose to focus on the laptop rather than his insatiable need to devour every inch of Alec’s body right there on the couch.

God, he felt like some horny teenager with his first crush.

He began to inspect the back of the laptop but didn’t get very far as Robert caught his attention.

“Jace, run him through facial recognition, he looks suspicious.”

Magnus looked up to see some guy dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black, thin tie, carrying a leather briefcase. He was talking to the receptionist and before long, was out of the room again. It seemed suspicious but he didn’t actually do anything so maybe it was just a coincidence.

Magnus went back to the laptop, running his fingers over the back of it. He was hoping to find something but his mind was too distracted. It was as if he wanted this to not be a waste, and to not disappoint everyone to the extent that even trying to find something was a futile attempt because he couldn’t focus at all.

He was frustrated.

He couldn’t work like this.

With a loud huff, he placed the laptop on beside him and reached for his mug of tea and a gingerbread man.

This should do the trick.

But of course, the Universe wouldn’t allow that.

Just as he took a sip, he spat it out in disbelief, shock, disgust, guilt and the tiniest hint of fear.

“Magnus! What happened, are you okay?” Alec asked in concern.

“That-Alexan-it’s-I-“

“Magnus, baby breathe. Take deep breaths for me.” Alec took the biscuit and mug out of his shaking hands and turned to face him again, just as Robert, Max and Jace had done, all with a worried look in their eyes. “Deep breaths for me baby, okay. In...out...in...and out.”

Magnus followed his hand movements, inhaling and exhaling when Alec said so and eventually his pulse returned to a normal rate.

“That’s it, you’re okay. Everything’s okay Magnus.”  Alec said in a hushed tone and cautiously placed an arm around Magnus’ shoulders, and when Magnus didn’t flinch; he wrapped the other arm around him too, enveloping him in his warm and comforting embrace.

“He’s...you know that man? The-the one that...in Texas, tried to drug me.”

Magnus saw the moment it clicked in Alec’s mind, and his expression changed from one of concern to anger.

“That’s him.” Magnus said, pointing to the TV which was now paused showing Elias talking to the receptionist.

Alec’s fists clenched Magnus felt like he was going to be sick. All those memories from that day came rushing back to him and it made a vile feeling pool in his stomach.

“Dad, look.” Max said into the silence and Robert shifted his gaze back to the TV.

Magnus hadn’t realised that the video was playing again but it showed that Elias was still talking to the lady, but there was a woman in the office too with a little boy running around, and he slipped behind the desk while the receptionist was distracted and 10 seconds later, she noticed him and laughed, handing him back over to the woman.

If seeing Elias didn’t make him feel sick, that definitely did.

“They...he’s...he’s using children?” Magnus asked incredulously.

“It...it would seem so.” Robert said quietly, barely loud enough to hear.

“But, _children?”_ Magnus raised his voice. “How could he-on what kind of Earth would someone be able to do _that?_ That’s-he’s...he’s barely even _human!”_ Magnus jumped up from his seat and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

How could Valentine do that? How could the mother of that child let him do that? What kind of mother would do that?!

“Jace, do a run on him and that woman, and see if you can find out if that kid is hers.” Robert spoke calmly and authoritatively. “Max, can you go get your mother? And then head to bed. We’re not watching anymore of this bullshit.” Max nodded and with a small smile and hug to Magnus, walked up the stairs.

Magnus could hear some mumbling but he couldn’t put the words together. All he could think about was that morning with Elias and this poor, innocent child who was being used.

He was bought out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder...Jace.

“Hey, Magnus. It’s okay. We’re gonna catch them.”

“Elias is dead!” Magnus blurted out.

“What?”

“Wait.” Magnus thought back to waking up in the plane, thought back to his conversation with Camille when she helped him escape. “He might not be, but I think he is.”

“Okay, just, don’t worry about that right now. You’ve had a long day, both you and Alec, and I think you should head to bed. We can talk about this tomorrow...okay?”

Magnus nodded and reached for Alec’s hand, dragging him without so much as a ‘goodnight’ towards Jace, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak properly and he knew Jace wouldn’t hold it against him.

Alec was following him silently, and Magnus couldn’t bring himself to look at him. He feebly made his way to the cabin in the back of the garden, not noticing the chilly air around him or the where he was actually going.

They hadn’t decided to sleep here again but it seemed his subconscious made up his mind.

Once inside, Magnus found enough courage to face Alec and saw that his brow was furrowed and his eyes had a far away look.

“Alexander?” Magnus called out cautiously. “Alexander, talk to me. Please.”

“I’m a terrible, terrible person.”

“What? Wh-how-what are you talking about?” Magnus spluttered incredulously. What was Alec talking about?

“Some poor kid was manipulated into doing that, and he probably has no family and if he does, they don’t care about him. And all I can think about right now is Elias and what he did to you, and I just...I want to kill him for even daring to lay a hand on you.”

“That doesn’t make you a terrible person, Alexander. You are far from terrible.”

“But...this kid! I should be feeling sick, or disgusted at Valentine and all I can fucking think about is you!” Alec shouted, before lowering his voice to barely a whisper and adding, “How _Elias_ had you.”

Magnus instantly realised what this was.

Alec needed _him,_ needed to know Magnus was his.  And despite the whole situation, and how much shit was happening around them, Magnus wanted Alec. More than anything.

And so he crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss.

Any and every thought about Valentine, Sebastian, Hodge, that poor kid or this whole thing flew right out of Magnus’ mind and all he could think about was Alec. His Alexander. How his lips tasted and parted under his own and how he subconsciously thrust his hips forward into Magnus’.

It was as if animalistic hunger took over both of them as they practically tore each other’s clothes off and then Magnus pushed Alec flush against the wall, ravishing his mouth and moving to suck and bite at his neck.

“Mah-Magnus-I need you. Please.” Alec pleaded and Magnus didn’t need to be told twice.

He pushed his fingers into Alec’s mouth while continuing his ministrations on Alec’s neck and collarbone until he deemed it enough and lowered himself onto his knees, turning Alec around in the process.

Magnus parted his cheeks and moaned at the sight of Alec before licking a long, tantalizing strip across his hole. 

“Please...Magnus...no teasing.”

And so Magnus slipped a finger in and took pleasure in the moan that left Alec’s lips. He thrust vigorously and added a second finger in no time, scissoring Alec open. Alec was pushing back on his fingers, whimpering for more and Magnus was pretty sure his dick would burst if he didn’t get inside Alec right that second.

So he did.

And Alec gasped, loud and clear at the sudden intrusion.

Magnus knew it probably hurt him a little, and he instantly felt bad for not preparing Alec more, but then Alec was pushing back on him and begging him and he couldn’t bring himself to even feel anything except Alec.

“Fuck, Magnus, I...I want to see you...please.”

Magnus reluctantly pulled out of Alec and took his hand, leading him to their makeshift bed that was still there from the previous night and gently but impatiently pushed him down onto it before crawling on top of him.

Alec took Magnus’ painfully hard erection in his hand and lined him up to his entrance and Magnus didn’t need to be told in words what that meant, so he pushed back in and swallowed Alec’s moan with his own lips.

Alec hooked his ankles together around Magnus’ hips and met each and every thrust while sloppily kissing him as his nails raked over Magnus’ back.

“Fuck...Alexan-der...fuck.” Magnus gasped against Alec’s lips and pulled his hips up, changing the angle to hit Alec’s prostate with every thrust.

“Right there!” Alec moaned and Magnus happily obliged.

Before long, he felt that familiar pool in his abdomen and his movements became sporadic as he neared his orgasm. Magnus wanted Alec to come with him, so he reached out to take a hold of Alec’s throbbing and leaking cock, and with one single touch, Alec was coming with a scream of Magnus’ name and Magnus lost it.

He flopped down on top of Alec as Alec’s clenching hole milked him, Magnus’ come painting the inside of Alec as the sound of their pants and gasps for air filled the otherwise silent room.

After a few minutes, Magnus pulled his softening dick out and watched in awe as his come trickled out of Alec, staining the sheets and his thighs.

Without really thinking, he circled Alec’s entrance before pushing two fingers in, feeling his own hot release on them as he slowly worked them inside of Alec.

“Alexander?”

“Hmm?”

“I need you.”

“...Okay.”

Magnus climbed on top of Alec so that his own cock was by Alec’s face, and Alec’s own was by Magnus’.

He felt the wet, hot tongue lapping over his entrance and gasped at the feeling.

“Fuck.”

Alec gently sucked and licked at his hole, pushing the tip of his tongue in every so often while Magnus planted kisses around his hardening erection and slowly moved his fingers inside Alec.

Just as Magnus took Alec into his mouth, he felt a wet finger slide into him and _God_ it felt so good.

Alec’s fingers were so _long_ and when he crooked them just right so that they brushed over that bundle of nerves, Magnus was a whimpering mess, barely managing to focus on sucking Alec’s now hard erection.

Magnus didn’t even realise that there were three fingers rather than the one thrusting in and out of him until Alec pulled them all out and gently nudged Magnus over so that he was on his back.

Alec kissed up his chest, neck, jaw and cheeks before finally connecting their lips in a slow but still passionate kiss.

“I love you.” He whispered against Magnus’ lips.

“I love you too.”

And then Alec was pushing inside him, gently and lovingly and it took everything Magnus had to not combust at the feeling.

He felt as if his whole body and soul was being filled with Alec’s love and adoration towards him. As if Alec was physically pouring everything he felt into Magnus and it was overwhelming in the best way possible.

Alec’s thrusts were slow but just as pleasurable. Whereas before, everything was rushed and frantic, this time was unhurried. They knew they had each other, and they knew that nothing could ever change their love for each other. This time it was all about their love, and connecting in a way that they hadn’t ever done before.

Now that Magnus knew Alec loved him, and Alec knew Magnus loved him back, it changed the whole feel of this.

It felt like so much more than sex to Magnus, so much more than making love even. 

They both reached their orgasm together. While Magnus released himself over their stomachs, Alec filled Magnus and collapsed on top of him, pressing small kisses to his exposed neck.

“Does it make us bad that we just did that?” He asked into the silence.

“Why would it?” Magnus inquired, genuinely curious about Alec’s train of thought as to why he would think that.

“Well, after everything that happened today, and then everything that happened over the past week...and I don’t know but like with that...that video and just everything, it seemed wrong. Not because being with you felt wrong, but because it felt so _right_.”

Magnus thought for a moment, because he could definitely understand what Alec was feeling as he was feeling the exact same.

“I think...I know that my emotions have been a mess lately, like as we were walking here, I felt worried and scared and disgusted and then I saw you and you said what you said and I felt overwhelming love and I just needed you too. And earlier today, in the car, I was just a complete mess and I was panicking but in the morning I was ready to jump on you. It’s like my mind won’t make up what I want to feel and I think just that shows how much shit is going on, and I think that makes it okay to want each other.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. I don’t think anyone would blame us for wanting reassurance that the other was there, for wanting to feel each other after everything that’s happened.”

Alec finally pulled out of Magnus making him hiss at the overstimulation while Magnus gasped at the emptiness, though that emptiness was only physical as he felt more content than ever in that moment.

Alec turned to his side and Magnus did the same so that they were facing each other.

“I don’t want to lose you, Magnus.” Alec whispered, and Magnus’ heart broke at how utterly sad he sounded.

This whole time, Magnus had been relying on Alec. Alec had been there every time he had a panic attack, every time he had a nightmare or couldn’t bring himself to eat. Alec was there for him but hiding behind his strong and protective exterior of protecting Magnus, but that just crumbled to show the same insecurity and anxiety that Magnus felt and Magnus realised that they were both just as scared about everything as each other.

Alec had been so strong for Magnus over the past week, and now it was Magnus’ turn to be strong for Alec.

“You’re not going to lose me, darling.” Magnus cupped his cheeks and kissed his nose, “I’m not going anywhere, and if we never end up finding a way to stop Valentine and have to stay in this house for the rest of our lives, then so be it. Because I am not, under any circumstances, going to live a single day without you because it would kill me. I love you, Alexander, more than anything, more than life itself and I wouldn’t be able to live without you, so if you think something’s going to take me away from you, then don’t worry because I will always, _always_ , find my way back to you, no matter what.”

“Promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, I counted and realised that I literally went 17 chapters without any smut and I was shook, like wow. That's over half of the story. But yeah, I know it was like a mess in this chapter but I wanted to portray that need for each other and work in Alec's insecurities and worries into it, because it's all good with him being protective over Magnus but sometimes Alec needs protection too and these two are so in love it's adorable. Anyway, I hope that didn't seem anticlimactic to the build up of smut and I hope I did it justice since I was awfully mean for not writing it for so long. 
> 
> See you guys for the next chapter soon! Might be a while because birthday celebrations and all, not me but my big bro and as a little sister, I am on party planning duty! I feel like Izzy :D
> 
> Love you all and thank you so much for reading! <3


	28. Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And eventually everyone else started smiling too, but all Alec could focus on was Magnus.  
> He did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this chapter was a pain to write, and I had this idea but then it would have been too long and rushed and I think it's rushed enough so I'll do that other thing in the next chapter and you probably are super confused so I'll shh. Basically, apologies if this seems like it's going too quick, I'm not really sure how I feel about it but I do hope you like it :)

**Magnus PV**

After their heated and passion filled night, Magnus and Alec fell asleep quite quickly as the exhaustion from the day caught up to them. Alec was still worried, of course he was, but Magnus made everything better, as he always does.

He just needed to relax, everything would be okay and Magnus wouldn’t be taken from him.

But obviously that didn’t mean they weren’t going to have any problems, or that Alec’s urges to dream about Valentine getting hit by a fast train or something were going to simmer down.

“Dear Magnus, I am terribly sorry about the accident and I hope you are okay. I hope you will come to your senses soon and join me; I will not remain patient for long. You have the number, please use it. Valentine.” Magnus read out the letter that came from Valentine that morning and Alec tried really, _really_ hard not to rip the godforsaken paper up and throw it into the fire in frustration.

“Okay Jace, I want you to go to the address that came up in the records for the woman in Janus’ office, I’m gonna go see Isabelle and pull up Elias’ record to see if it was actually him. And Magnus, do you think you could try getting the laptop open? That’s all we really have at this point.” Robert ordered but not unkindly.

“Yeah, of course.” Magnus nodded and walked over to Alec, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder to calm the storm of anger that whirled within him.

Alec didn’t even notice Jace and Robert had left until Magnus suddenly came into his field of vision carrying the laptop.

_When had he gone upstairs to retrieve it?_

“Alexander?”

“Hmm..ye-hey, what’s up?” Alec inwardly cringed at himself.

“You tell me my darling, you’ve barely spoken this morning and you’ve been spacing out a lot...you-you don’t regret last night...do you?” Alec could practically taste the hurt in Magnus’ voice and he shot up to his feet, startling Magnus in the process, and walked over to him to cup his cheeks.

“Of course not, baby I love you. I love you so, so much.” Alec gently kissed his nose and that seemed to wash away the nervousness in Magnus.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I just, I’m sick of this all. I’m still worried about...about you being taken away, or them getting whatever it is that they want, or what’s gonna happen when Max goes back to school and everyone has to go to work? We can’t protect everyone...I can’t protect everyone.” Alec confessed.

“My love, they’re not your responsibility.”

“But you are, keeping you safe is my responsibility.” Alec said bashfully and he did not miss the little smile that flickered on Magnus’ lips.

“You can’t live in fear Alexander, that is no way to live. And though it may seem that times are...unpromising, we cannot give up. We’ll fight this, together.”

“Together.” Alec repeated.

He liked the sound of ‘together’.

Magnus leant forwards and brushed his lips over Alec’s, tasting his raspberry lip gloss that had Alec begging for more.

He licked at Magnus’ lower lip, asking for access which Magnus happily granted without as much as a second of hesitation, and Alec could now also taste the Earl Grey tea that Magnus had drank not long ago.

 “If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my breakfast in my stomach please.” A voice deadpanned from somewhere and Alec pulled away slightly, his hands still resting on Magnus’ bare back - _when did that happen? -_ under the sweater he was wearing which actually belonged to Alec.

“Sorry, Max.” Alec cleared his throat and hoped he didn’t sound as flushed as he felt. He reluctantly pulled away from Magnus, who most definitely looked thoroughly wrecked from just a kiss, and God Alec wanted to devour those plump lips and the caramel skin and _why did Magnus have to be so fucking sexy?_

“It’s cool big brother, just, no more, please.” Max pleaded.

“Yeah, uh, of course.” Alec replied since Magnus still seemed a little speechless.

“What you guys working on?”

This seemed to gain Magnus’ attention as he perked up, making himself look a little more presentable in the presence of his boyfriends brother while possibly still being aroused. “Laptop. Gotta figure out how to open it. Yep. That.” He said a little too quickly and Alec couldn’t help the light hearted chuckle that escaped his lips.

“Want some help?”

“Sure, yeah.”

Magnus and Max both sat down on the floor by the fire and Alec smiled at them, admiring the sight before joining.

“I’m gonna try and pry it open.” Magnus declared before picking up some fancy tool that Alec would never be able to guess the name of and jamming it in the laptop opening.

The attempt was short lived though as the sound of something that sounded awfully a lot like cracking plastic made Magnus pull back abruptly.

“Okay, no to prying it open.” Magnus mumbled solemnly.

“What if you took out the hard drive and put it in one of our laptops?” Max asked and Magnus stared, wide eyed before breaking out into a massive grin.

“How did I not think of that? How did none of us think of that? You are officially the smartest Lightwood.” Magnus beamed.

“What? No way, not when there’s you or Izzy to compete with.” Max retorted instantly and Alec tried to suppress his massive grin to no avail at the fact that Max considered Magnus as a Lightwood, or think about having Lightwood in Magnus’ last name because it was too early and he’d done enough thinking about marrying Magnus that it was becoming borderline upsetting because he couldn’t do it just yet.

“Chairman’s the smartest Bane-Lightwood and no one can argue otherwise...now, about the hard drive?” Alec spoke up to try and escape his thoughts, but of course he had to say ‘Bane-Lightwood and now he was imagining Magnus’ signature or his badge for the NYPD if he ends up working there and it was all too much. He didn’t even notice Magnus saying something about screwdrivers or Max excusing himself to obtain said screwdrivers.

“Darling?”

“What? Yea-Yes?” Alec spluttered.

“Bane-Lightwood, huh?” Magnus smiled and Alec felt his face heat up.

“It just slipped out.”

“It didn’t last night, and why Bane first?”

“Alphabetical.” Alec answered with a wave of his hand, ignoring Magnus’ innuendo and willing his face to return to its normal colour.

“But Lightwood-Bane sounds _so_ much better, and you know I would never complain about getting behind you.” Magnus smirked and threw a wink in Alec’s direction.

“Here!” Max exclaimed, oblivious to their conversation as he sat back down carrying a small box and Magnus returned his attention to the laptop leaving Alec with an almost angry blush and wide eyes staring at him.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus wasn’t one to jump to conclusions, but Alec _had_ said that he was going to marry Magnus one day, and now he bought up their surnames together and Magnus couldn’t help but start thinking about it. About marrying Alec.

It would be a dream come true.

But no thinking about that right now, they had a hard drive to obtain.

Magnus carefully undid the screws in the back of the laptop and took off the backing case.

“Huh.” Magnus breathed out and Alec, having recovered from Magnus’ words, raised an eyebrow in inquisition. “I thought it would be a lot less...normal.” Magnus explained.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, with your Dad’s safe, the laptop not opening and my Dad being some next level tech creator, I would have expected it to be cooler than the usual. It seems too eas-“

“Don’t!” Alec interrupts. “Don’t say it, because then it won’t be...you know, and we really, _really_ need something to be... _you know.”_ Alec gestured with his hands, as if the word ‘easy’ was sacred in this predicament and Magnus rolled his eyes.

“What bit is the hard drive?” Max asked.

“That.” Magnus pointed to it.

“So we just take it out?”

“Yep.” Magnus popped the ‘p’ and began to work on the screws holding the hard drive in place, removing them with efficiency after years of practice. He began to pull it but noticed there was a little restriction, and it should have been smooth and swift so his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Alexander, can you shine a light please?” Magnus asked and Alec picked up the torch from the little took kit and shone it where Magnus directed, illuminating the intricate wiring underneath the hard drive.

He picked up the tweezers and traced back the wire with a little difficulty, but eventually found it connected to a little black cube with two alarming symbols on it.

“Fuck.” Magnus muttered.

“What? What is it?”

“It appears I was right when I said this looked too normal, and that given different circumstances, I’d really admire my Father’s work.” Magnus said with a sigh and looked up to meet Alec’s questioning gaze. “If we remove the hard drive, it will explode.”

“What?” Max and Alec asked in bewilderment and shock.

“It’s wired to an explosive that would take out the laptop including the hard drive and probably cause minor damage within a two meter radius. And cutting the wires or removing them would trigger it.”

“Are you serious?” Max spluttered.

“I’m afraid so.” Magnus heaved a big sigh.

Magnus was proud. Exceptionally proud. His Father was a true genius, but given the circumstances, he was proving to be a pain in the ass, and Magnus wished there was more left for him that he could go on.

He couldn’t help but also feel a little betrayed. Asmodeus had hidden so much from him, and Magnus always thought they were truthful. They did everything together, especially when it came to technology, and to find out that all of this work was kept away from Magnus made him feel hurt. Why would he hide it? Why would he lie?

He subconsciously closed the laptop and fixed the screws back in, oblivious to the obvious worried glances Max and Alec were sharing and when he finally finished and looked up, he saw that Max was gone leaving him and Alec alone.

“Where’s Max?”

“His room...do you wanna talk about it?” Alex asked cautiously.

“Talk about what?”

“You’re angry.”

Magnus knew there was no point lying, so he gave a simple nod.

“But you feel bad for being angry.”

Another nod.

When had he become so easy to see through? Or maybe it was only Alec that could do that.

“You’re allowed to be angry at him, Magnus.”

“Am I?” He asked, barely a whisper.

“Yes. Just because he’s gone, doesn’t mean that you can only feel pain and grief when it comes to him. Emotions aren’t something that you control and in this situation, you sure as hell shouldn’t feel bad for being angry. You’re allowed to feel anything you want.”

Magnus let that sink in for a moment.

“You know we had so many plans, so many ideas of what we could make. We would always spend days cooped up in that cabin and work on our designs and when your Dad said he was a PI or whatever, I never really let it hit me, but he had a whole part of his life hidden away, a whole part of his life that I didn’t know about and maybe, Mom and Halley didn’t know either. I always thought he never lied to us. But he was working on things behind our backs, and now he’s created something that could be used as a weapon and Valentine wants it and he left me this stupid laptop and this stupid watch and this stupid wish that I fix his mistakes and I can’t take it, Alexander, I can’t do this. I don’t even know what he wants me to do, but why should I do it if he lied about it? And how am I supposed to fix it...what if I can’t fix it? What if I disappoint him, disappoint you and your Dad and Mom and everyone.”

“I can’t explain why your Father hid things from you, I didn’t know him...but I know you. And in this line of work that he became a part of, there have to be secrets to keep people safe and when it comes to you, I would do anything to keep you safe so I don’t blame your Dad for wanting to do the same. You’re exceptionally smart, Magnus, and your Dad knew that, so whatever it is he’s bestowed on you, it’s not because he wanted you to fix it for him, it’s because he knew that you care so passionately about doing the right thing and that you’d want to make the world a better place. He trusts you and your judgement. You have such a kind heart Magnus, despite all the pain you’ve suffered and no matter what, he’d be proud of you. We’ll all be proud of you, baby, you could never disappoint us.”

Magnus looked down to his lap where his hands were clasped together firmly. “You really think I can do it?” He whispered, voice so small and vulnerable.

“I _know_ you can. But right now, you’ve got to let it go. You’re not going to be able to concentrate with everything you’re feeling and bottling up, so let’s take a break and come back to it, okay?”

Magnus nodded, feeling reassured by Alec’s words and gave a small smile, letting himself be pulled up to his feet.

“You know, yesterday, I was feeling super angry and frustrated, and after punching the punch bag, I actually felt a lot better. Do you wanna try it?”

“Okay.”

*******

Magnus stood there as Alec wrapped up his hands with a gentleness that made him feel more flustered than he should.

He allowed himself to believe that his inability to focus would be fixed after this impromptu gym session, but he knew he was being a little naive and optimistic and something like this wasn’t going to solve itself over a couple of hours. He just wished it was that simple.

“Okay, so you just wanna punch, let it all out. Talk if it helps, or imagine faces. I found that picturing Valentine and Sebastian was _very_ helpful.” Alec grimaced but Magnus couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. “What?”

“Nothing, I just, wanna do a lot more than just punch them.”

“Believe me baby, I want them to have the most excruciating, painful, slow death that is possible but for now, punching will have to do.”

Magnus just hummed in acknowledgement as he let himself wonder how Alec could use a term of endearment when talking about someone dying so violently, and more importantly how it made Magnus feel giddy as he pictured them being like some crime fighting boyfriends being all cutesy and stuff while putting the bad guys away.

And why was he acting like a child again?

“Ready?” Alec asked as he stood with his legs slightly apart, hands tightly clutching the punching bag.

“Ready.” Magnus imagined Valentine’s lying little smug face and threw a punch. It wasn’t exactly one that would inflict pain, but to his defence, he still wasn’t fully recovered.

Magnus threw punch after punch, muttered obscenities and curses as he pictured Valentine and Hodge and Imasu and Elias and Sebastian along with everyone who’s ever hurt him, but it just wasn’t working.

He still felt weak, still felt like he couldn’t do this, like he couldn’t do what his Father wanted.

“Okay, this isn’t working.” Magnus stated a little breathlessly after 15 minutes of pointless punching.

Alec bit his lip in deep concentration and Magnus was tempted to ask if he could take over, but then he stopped and Magnus scowled because Alec with his little look of concentration was so inhumanly sexy and he wanted it back.

“Let’s try some hand to hand combat.” Alec suggested, and Magnus could tell by his eyes that there was something else behind the suggestion but he didn’t question it, knowing he’d find out sooner or later.

“Well this is certainly not how I expected to spend my afternoon.” Magnus mumbled as they took position on the mats. “You won’t hit my face, right?”

Alec chuckled at him and dropped his stance, moving closer to wrap his arms around Magnus’ waist while the latter just glared at him.

“Don’t laugh at me Alexander.” Magnus frowned and tried to get out of Alec’s hold on him though his efforts were futile.

“You really think I would hit your face?” Alec asked with a little smile.

Magnus shrugged as best as he could in the tight hold.

“I love that face, I wouldn’t ever hit it, or you. I’m not going to touch you one bit.”

“Well that’s disappointing.” Magnus pouted.

“I’ll touch you, but I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you.” Alec explained with a more serious tone and kissed Magnus softly.

Magnus melted into the kiss and licked along Alec’s lower lip, causing him to pull back.

“We can do that later.”

“Such a cockblocker.” Magnus muttered as Alec let go of him.

“I can’t be a cockblocker if it’s my cock that you want. That doesn’t make sense.”

“Shut up.” Magnus scowled and Alec kissed him chastely before pinching his butt and moving to take position again.

“Just use whatever fighting style you’re comfortable with and don’t hold back.”

Magnus was only really familiar with a little bit of Tai Chi and some Wing Chun, but since both of them were defence martial arts rather than attack, he just winged it and went for a punch, dodging Alec’s block and swooping down to knock one of his legs making him fall.

Magnus held out his hand and helped Alec back up to his feet, both of them taking their positions once again.

“Are you going easy on me my darling?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Alec replied looking a little too smug for Magnus’ liking. They were both circling around each other, waiting for the other to throw a punch or kick, so Magnus initiated it but Alec dodged his hook and grabbed his extended arm from the side, pulling Magnus close to him so that his back was flush against Alec’s chest. “Try again.” He whispered, his breath ghosting against Magnus’ ear before he bit down on the lobe and promptly let go, putting distance between them once again.

“You’re playing dirty.” Magnus glared at him and Alec just smirked back.

“Not at all baby, come on.” He beckoned for Magnus to throw a punch again with his hand but Magnus was not falling for it this time.

“No, _you_ come on.” He shot back and Alec just grinned before attacking.

Magnus was prepared though, and he ducked down dodging Alec’s punch, moving swiftly around him but just as he went to kick the back of Alec’s knees, Alec fell to the floor and rolled to the side before grabbing Magnus’ leg and pulling him down to the ground.

“You need to let go. You’re holding back because you doubt yourself.” Alec stated, though not unkindly.

“I do not doubt myself.” Magnus retorted with a scoff.

“Yes, you do. You’re so much more capable than you give yourself credit for.” Alec rolled Magnus over onto his back and straddled his hips, pinning his wrists down to the floor as he looked into Magnus’ eyes with an intense gaze that Magnus struggled to break from. “Accept that you’re scared, and accept that you’re worried. Then use those emotions to your advantage. One thing I love about you is that whatever you do; you do it with your whole heart. A lot of people say that following your heart is a weakness and I used to agree, but being with you has made me see differently. You rule with your heart and you accept the mistakes you make by learning from them. You trusted Valentine because you were hurt and angry,” Magnus flinched but didn’t stop Alec from continuing, “-and you used those emotions to get the job done, and not everyone can do what you did. I probably shouldn’t be praising you for stealing but you did, and from the captain of the NYPD’s house might I add. That’s not easy to do, and you did it, and no one even expected it. You used the pain to do that, and now, you need to use your fear to do this. Don’t hold back and try to fight it, accept it and use it and learn to fight along with it.”

Alec got up and helped Magnus to his feet, looking at him with his head tilted in concentration.

“Do you trust me?” He asked and Magnus blinked, startled by the question.

“Implicitly.”

Alec gave a single nod and removed his shirt making Magnus smile despite the situation, but then he grimaced once Alec covered his eyes with it, tying a knot behind his head.

“What’s the point putting all _that_ on display if I don’t get to see it?” Magnus pouted and gestured blindly to where he assumed Alec’s naked torso would be, making Alec chuckle a little before he turned serious again.

“You don’t believe in yourself.”

“That’s not tru-“

“No baby, listen.” Alec cut him off firmly but not harshly. “You don’t have faith in your abilities to do this because that godforsaken laptop is proving to be difficult. But you’re distracted, your mind is distracted and you’re not working at it wholeheartedly because part of your heart is elsewhere, feeling angry or sad or hurt or scared. You need to accept everything you feel, not shut it out, and use it to fuel your faith and determination, and when you do that, I think you’ll find yourself capable to do anything you wish to achieve.”

Magnus gulped, taking in Alec’s words, willing for them to be false and not accurate but unable to deny it. So with a new approach, he nodded and spoke,

“Okay, so what do we do?”

“You’re going to fight without your vision. Trust your senses. If you learnt to fight with one less sense, you might see that you’re adept and start to believe in yourself. We all believe in you, Magnus, you just need to do it yourself now.”

“Okay.” Magnus whispered, took a deep breath and extended his arms in position.

“This will be our starting position-” Alec stated and Magnus felt the wrist of Alec’s outstretched arm against his, “-and we will attack slowly, because as much as I want this to work, I don’t want you getting hurt. Okay?”

“Okay.”He repeated with a firm nod.

He could do this. He _had_ to do this.

* * *

Alec knew he was probably pushing it, but deep down, Magnus needed to hear it. And this could go terribly, terribly wrong, but it could also go magnificently right.

So as they fought, Alec was patient and didn’t rush Magnus. He believed he’d get there eventually, and he just needed a little time to adjust. And when Alec accidentally hit his lower abdomen, he was prepared to apologise profusely and call whatever this was off, but Magnus repositioned himself and told Alec to continue. He watched how after each hit, Magnus’ body flowed more easily and he accepted not having his vision but used his hearing, his touch, his smell to fight back. Alec watched Magnus let go and accept the disadvantages, learn to fight alongside them and letting the advantages outweigh them.

On the other hand, Magnus felt himself relax. He found that telling himself that he could do it was different from believing it, and at the beginning, he didn’t believe himself but as he fought on and adjusted to pick up on Alec’s scent drift through the air, telling him where he was next going to be, or listen to the quick breaths coming from Alec to determine when he was going to hit, he realised he was figuring it out. And in his mind, he thought that it was okay if one approach didn’t work to solve this, because he could find another way. Just because he was used to something, didn’t mean that it couldn’t change, and he would have to adapt to that change and find away to work around it, not just because his Father left it for him, but because he wanted to help and wanted to do something good. He _could_ do it, and it didn’t matter that nothing had worked so far because there would be another route, or something he hadn’t thought of. And the best part? He wasn’t alone. Everyone would work together on this, and despite all the threats that were still there, they would be able to do it if they put their heart to it.

**Magnus PV**

“How do you feel?” Alec asked as they lay on the floor in the gym.

“Confident.”

Magnus was surprised by the sheer honesty in his answer, and Alec seemed so too if his bright smile was anything to go by.

“Fantastic. Now, I believe I promised some making out earlier? How about a shower and then you can try at the laptop again?” Alec suggested and Magnus perked up instantly, shooting to his feet making Alec let out a beautiful, hearty laugh.

Magnus pulled Alec to his feet and they both ran up the stairs to Alec’s room, suppressing their giggles that Magnus had no idea what were for. Maybe they were because the both of them were acting like teenagers, or that he faintly heard Max’s mumbled ‘not too loud, boys’ from his bedroom.

Alec locked the door to his bedroom and then shuffled Magnus into the bathroom, shutting that door behind him too. He didn’t hesitate a single second before capturing Magnus’ lips in a passionate kiss, tongue darting out instantly as he licked into Magnus’ mouth. Alec’s deft fingers tugged at the hem of Magnus’ shirt and they pulled back reluctantly to pull it over Magnus’ head.

Magnus reached his hand out and turned the shower on, letting the water heat up as he made quick work of Alec’s sweatpants and boxers, sighing contentedly as Alec’s semi hard erection sprung free. He pulled down his own remaining clothing and hopped into the shower, Alec right behind him, pushing him up against the wall and claiming his mouth once again.

The steaming water relaxed Magnus’ lightly aching muscles and he allowed himself to be lifted by Alec, his legs wrapping around Alec’s waist as he kissed along Magnus’ jaw, up to his ear.

Alec licked up the water droplets that settled on Magnus’ neck and sank his teeth in lightly, eliciting a soft whimper from Magnus.

Both of them were fully hard now and Magnus was grinding down, gaining that perfect friction from the feel of Alec’s dick sliding along his. He almost screamed when he felt a wet finger circle him.

“Please... _please_ Alexander.” He begged, not sure what for but he needed Alec to do something.

“I got you baby.” Alec whispered and Magnus bit back his moan as Alec’s finger entered him in a slow and languid motion.

Magnus’ legs were still wrapped around Alec’s hips, his weight being held by Alec and the tiled wall making the perfect combination of hot and cold. He blindly reached down and wrapped a hand around his and Alec’s throbbing erections, gasping as another finger entered him.

“Fuck.” He hissed at the burn but found solace in the pleasure that followed almost immediately.

Alec was just brushing against his prostate, letting out his own moans as Magnus continued his hand movements that were lubricated by the water and pre-come that was now beading at the tips of their throbbing cocks.

“More...mmh.” Magnus demanded and tipped his head back as a third finger joined the two already deep inside him.  He sped up with his hand and grinded down more forcefully and frequently until his felt himself nearing the edge. “Alexan-der...I-shit I-“

“Come for me. Let go baby.” Alec said and Magnus lost it at his husky, rough voice, shooting out his come in thick white spurts.

He was still feeling in a state of beautiful bliss but was aware that Alec had loosened his hold on him and was now jerking himself off to completion. Magnus blinked one eye open and groaned at the sight, feeling a sudden desire to taste Alec, so he got onto his knees and wrapped his hand around Alec’s one that was stroking himself.

He startled, eyes shooting open and he looked down at Magnus with wide blown eyes. They were so lust filled that Magnus could barely see the hazel and it made him want to live the rest of his life making love to this amazing man of his.

He wrapped his lips around Alec’s dick and sighed at the familiar weight of him in his mouth. It was heavy and Magnus could taste the salty pre come, he knew Alec wouldn’t last much longer now and so bobbed his head up and down until Alec starting coming down his throat with a hoarse cry less than a minute later.

He swallowed every drop greedily and let Alec fall out of his mouth, kissing his way up his hips, stomach, chest, neck and jaw until he finally reached his lips.

“I love you, Alexander.” He whispered.

“I love you too, baby.”

**Alec PV**

After their shower rendezvous, Magnus and Alec changed before deciding to make some late lunch with Max.

“Is he okay?” Max whispered so that Magnus couldn’t hear.

Earlier, when they were working on the laptop, they both saw the look Magnus had and Alec silently asked Max to leave so he could find out what was wrong.

“Yeah, I think so.” Alec replied, watching with a small smile as Magnus danced around the kitchen deciding what to make.

Just as Alec was about to ask Magnus if he’d picked something, the doorbell rang and all three of them froze.

Will was outside right now so he wouldn’t just let anyone walk up to the door, but anyone who came had a key, so Alec couldn’t help the panic that was beginning to rise in him.

“Stay here. Both of you...please.” Alec ordered a little pleadingly.  

With heavy footsteps, Alec approached the door and looked through the peephole, instantly relaxing at the sight of Tessa.

He swung the door open and she smiled brightly before frowning at him.

“Alec, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just panicked a little for no reason.” Alec smiled and welcomed her inside, giving a warm hug in greeting.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you. Where’s Magn-“

“Tessa!” Magnus exclaimed cheerfully and ran straight up to them, throwing his arms around her.

“Hey honey. It’s good to see you.” Tessa kissed his cheek and pulled back, throwing a loving smile his way.

“You too, we’re about to make pancakes. Want some?” Magnus offered and Tessa nodded eagerly. He ushered her into the kitchen and Alec turned to shut the door.

When he walked back into the kitchen, the three of them were talking animatedly about Tessa’s new apartment so Alec got a start on the pancakes.

After her visit on Christmas, Robert had asked her about her brother, Nate Gray, and she explained that she was adopted into his family and they were never really that close. When she turned 18, she moved to Texas to get away from them and got a job as a bartender to pay her way through University. Alec hated to see how such kind people had such shitty pasts, but he admired that people like Tessa and Magnus were still good people, so kind hearted and loving.

Ever since, they had accepted Tessa into their little family that was growing bigger by the second. She had been busy over the past couple of days with moving everything into her new home but Alec knew how much Magnus missed her and he was glad that she was comfortable enough to come whenever she wanted to.

It made him think about what their wedding could be like, with all these people that became family to them. Who else would they find before then and bring into their home?

“You alright big bro?” Max’s voice cut through Alec’s thoughts.

“Yeah, why?”

Max just pointed to Alec’s hands and Alec followed to see that he had poured all of the pancake mixture in the pan in one go.

“Fuck.”

Max giggled. “I bet Izzy would be happy to hear she’s not the only one screwing up in the kitchen.”

 Alec glared at him. “You tell Iz about this and I will tell her about you breaking that fancy ass lipstick of hers by rolling it out all the way.”

Max held up his hands in surrender and backed away slowly.

“What lipstick was it?” Magnus asked from where he was sat on the counter with Tessa.

“Baby, do you really expect me to know the name of these things?”Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

Alec sighed.

“Sisley.” 

“What? Max!” Magnus turned to him with wide blown eyes but his lips were tugging upwards and Alec knew he wouldn’t last long.

“It was a life or death situation, okay!” Max waved his hands in the air in frustration.

“Life or death?” Tessa inquired, clearly amused by the scene unfolding.

“Oh, yeah, definitely Max, life or death.” Alec teased and Max shot him an angry glare while pointing a finger at him.

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t have shit yourself in that situation. She was wearing like 20 inch stilettos, I feared for my life!”

“Alexander?” Magnus turned to him, demanding an explanation.

“It was last year Halloween, and Max was dressing up as the Devil. Izzy was panicking and bossing us about because she was going to be late to some party of hers and believe me, she was fuming. I remember Dad leaving for work early because he was scared of her. Anyway, Max had some red body paint and was like halfway done but it ran out and he was frantically searching for the other pot when Iz starting yelling at him from downstairs an-“

“And I was pissed at her so I went to her room and picked the reddest lipstick up and used it, but it was taking ages so I undid the whole thing and then the next day when she saw it she cried.” Max finished and both Magnus and Tessa were in fits of laughter.

“You used a $60 dollar lipstick in one night?” Magnus asked through his giggles, and Alec found him way too adorable.

“Yep, and I’m pretty sure she had a secret funeral for it so please don’t tell her that it was me.” Max said a little bashfully.

“You have my word.” Magnus declared.

“God I love your family.” Tessa said with a happy sigh towards Magnus.

“Me too.” Magnus beamed, looking right at Alec.

***

Magnus decided that he would be in charge of making the pancakes after Alec’s flop and they all ate blueberry pancakes while chatting about anything and everything.

Alec really liked Tessa. She was smart and witty and had an aura of calm that seemed to touch anyone she met. He knew he could trust her and he loved that Magnus had her. He would be eternally grateful towards her for what she did for him.

By late afternoon, they had settled down on the couch and were watching Tarzan while talking about Tessa’s new job at a restaurant in Manhattan.

Magnus had fallen asleep halfway with his head resting on Alec’s chest and legs curled up on Alec’s lap, and Alec just wanted to protect this beautiful, adorable man in his arms from everything evil in the world.

Why would someone want to hurt him?

It made no sense.

“How’s he doing?” Tessa asked quietly over the soft, little snores from Magnus.

“It’s up and down, I guess. I know it’s going to take time and I think he knows too. It’s just that there’s still so much shit going on that it’s like he can’t get a break. It makes me think of how when you’re injured and you need to sleep so your body can heal, but you can’t get to sleep, so there’s no chance of you healing.” Alec answered.

“I get that. It’s not exactly fair on him right now.” Tessa nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, plus, I think he’s so determined to get into that healing process, that stage of sleeping that he’s putting so much pressure on himself to fix this mess. I mean I tried to help him relax a little today and I don’t know if it worked, but I wish he could see how great he is. Because he is, you know, he’s just amazing.” Alec whispered while looking at Magnus, admiring his soft and innocent features.

He looked so calm.

He looked like he wasn’t carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Tessa reached out and took a hold of Alec’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. “You really love him, don’t you?”

“I do.” Alec said with a single nod.

“Then you’re gonna be okay. I just know it.”

Neither of them said anything after that, but nothing needed to be said. For some reason that Alec couldn’t explain, Tessa’s words reassured him more than anyone else’s. They were so simple, and usually would seem meaningless in a situation like this, but after hearing it from her, he couldn’t not believe her.

They would be okay.

It would take time, and bad things would still happen. But they would be okay.

***

“She literally doesn’t exist. I ran her through every database and facial recognition picked up nothing. It’s like she’s a ghost or something.” Jace stated as he angrily stabbed his chicken with his fork.

Robert and Jace had returned just after Isabelle and Maryse did, and now they were all sat having dinner with Tessa and Will too.

Alec kept stealing glances and smiling a little as he saw Tessa and Will. He saw the beginning of something happening between them, and if he remembered correctly, then Magnus’ doctor, Jem, was also part of this new thing.

It was odd in a way, how everyone came together like that but fit so perfectly. It made him think that maybe it was fate or something that everything happened the way it did, otherwise Will, Jem and Tessa would have never met.

He was glad that some things could still bring happiness when everything else seemed so dark and sad and confusing... just like this woman who apparently didn’t exist according to Jace.

“So what? Valentine would have erased all of her records or something?” Magnus asked before shoving some peas into his mouth.

“Maybe...most probably.” Robert sighed dejectedly.

“What if that’s what happened with me?” Magnus’ voice was so quiet that Alec had to strain his ears to hear him.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you didn’t know about me, and Camille mentioned a couple of times how she was the reason that Valentine found out that I, and I quote, ‘exist’. So what if like, my records were erased?”

“But it can’t have been Valentine because he didn’t know about you.” Isabelle chimed in.

“It’s not like he hasn’t lied to Magnus, though.” Maryse added and gently clasped Magnus’ hand in her own giving a comforting squeeze.

“Okay, so it could have been him. But why would he lie about it? And if he knew, then why not reach out to Magnus before? He waited a long damn time, and he made it out like this was super urgent so surely if he knew, he would have gotten in touch with Magnus before.” Alec mused.

“If not Valentine, then who?” Magnus asked and Alec shivered. Actually shivered.

Why was the thought of someone else being involved so worrying?

“Does anyone else feel like building some sort of secret hideout with a secret access like Dad’s safe?” Izzy said into the silence with a melancholy look.

“Wouldn’t we all love to hide away using fancy tech like a hidden but...ton...” Magnus trailed off with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration before they rose so high, Alec feared they would get tangled with his hair.

“Magnus?” Alec asked cautiously.

“A hidden button!” He exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

Alec loved that Magnus had these random outbursts where something would just click, like before with Andrew Janus’ number, but Magnus seriously had to stop with these pauses in his explanations. It was going to give Alec a heart attack.

“Where’s the laptop?” Magnus asked to no one in particular.

“Office. Safe.” Robert answered simply. He could also see Magnus’ brain working at a rapid speed, and he could feel he was onto something and there was no time to waste with mundane things like proper sentences.

Magnus dashed up the stairs and Alec watched him go before turning to everyone else. Robert looked proud, just like Alec knew his own expression was, whereas everyone else just looked thoroughly confused.

He returned not a minute later, in his hands the laptop and tool kit they used earlier.

“I made a bit of a mess with the books, sorry Dad.” Magnus rushed out and about two seconds later, froze and looked up.

Alec was also frozen. Did he hear that correctly? And why was his heart fluttering.

_Stupid goddamn heart._

Robert nodded with a little smile, one that said ‘it’s okay’ and Alec could see the tears in his eyes.

This was such an intense moment. Alec’s wanted to burst with joy with what he just heard, and burst with anxiety and restlessness at whatever was going through Magnus’ beautiful brain.

Magnus who had his eyes closed and was running his hands over the front of the laptop, the side, the top, the exposed back,

Literally everywhere,

Until his hands froze and his eyes shot open.

His hands fumbled slightly, with what was probably excitement and shock, and Alec had no idea what he was touching, but if he took a guess, he’d say the CPU, and when Magnus pulled at it, there was an indentation and symbol.

A symbol that Alec recognised.

“Your watch.” He muttered to himself.

“What?” Magnus looked to him, eyes blown wide.

“Your watch.” Alec repeated and reached for Magnus’ wrist. “I’ve looked at it so many times now; I’d recognise that symbol in my sleep.”

He undid the watch and pointed to the little mark that looked like four squares making up a diamond that was dented into the leather of the strap.

“Look at this.” Magnus said and gestured to the buckle tongue that Alec always thought had a weird shape but never commented on it.

With trembling fingers, Magnus angled the tongue and moved it to the indentation that was revealed by the CPU and it fit perfectly.

Of course it would.

And that little click of something unclasping was the most satisfying thing Alec had ever heard.

Well Magnus’ voice was first so second most. Or maybe third because of Magnus’ laugh.

_Fourth most, Alec, don’t forget Magnus’ moans._

_Not the time to be thinking about Magnus moaning, Alec._

By the time Alec had chastised his brain for being so inappropriate, Magnus had the laptop open in front of him and everyone looked too gobsmacked to think of anything to say, obviously Isabelle would recover first though...

“What the fuck did I just witness?”

“Was your Dad a spy? Wait... Are _you_ a spy?” Jace mused a little bewilderedly.

Magnus didn’t answer though.

His gaze was fixated on the desktop wallpaper, showing what Alec presumed was his family, and there were tears forming in Magnus’ eyes.

Alec watched as he silently got up and passed the laptop over to Robert, who took it gingerly, and then he turned to face Alec and pulled him up to his feet.

He stood there before Magnus, waiting for some sort of reaction until a smile broke out on Magnus’ face and he jumped into Alec’s arms, burying his face in Alec’s neck.

There were tears streaming down his face wetting Alec’s t shirt, but Alec didn’t care. Magnus was smiling and laughing and it was the most beautiful thing ever.

And eventually everyone else started smiling too, but all Alec could focus on was Magnus.

He did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to google 'expensive lipsticks' because I had no idea what brand to put...make up is so not my thing.  
> I really hope it didn't seem like this was too much going on in the chapter but I realised how much of the actual plot is left to go and I was like 'oh shit, kick up the pace mehna' because there's so much left and it would get to like 100 chapters knowing my rambling.  
> Speaking of, I'm rambling now.  
> Thank you for reading and sticking around and please excuse the cheesy-ness and unrealistic-ness of the whole laptop thing, technology isn't even like my area of expertise. I hated IT at school :/  
> <3


	29. Role Reversal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus forms a plan to finally stop Valentine and they execute step 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woaaah okay, it's been almost two months so first and foremost, I apologise for the long wait.
> 
> This chapter was not meant to be this long but I couldn't find a place to split it so I was like 'fuck it'. The whole numbers thing at the beginning is something I made up, along with all of the tech stuff because as I have said before, I am not a tech expert. I hate it. So please excuse the possible falseness of it...thanks :)
> 
> Also, part of the whole hiatus was because I was thinking about where this story was going and how long it'd take to get there, I realise that I've dragged out a lot of it so if the following chapters seem fast paced, that's probably why. 
> 
> Last point, I want to apologise for anyone who was offended by my portrayal of Magnus. I did not intend to make him look weak or dependent, he isn't, and you'll see that in his chapter. He just needed time to recover (still does), and I was going to drag that out a bit too but decided against it in the end so enjoy some independent Magnus in this chapter. And the whole Top/Bottom issue thing, it's about preference of the people involved and what gives you pleasure and in no way does wanting to bottom make someone weaker. When I started this fic, I knew I was going to have them switch and I'd just go with the flow whenever I'd write smut and so far, it just so happened that the scenes I wrote had Magnus as bottom, but that doesn't mean that Alec didn't bottom too, I just didn't write it. I'll try and be more cautious of it as I continue the story though.
> 
> That aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for sticking with me through out this story. :D

**Alec PV**

“This is a terrible idea. No, in fact, this is worse than terrible. This is the epitome of terrible ideas; it’s like, worse than making a deal with the Devil. Please tell me this is not what we are resorting to?” Alec argued.

“Son, it’s all we can do right now. And I trust that Asmodeus was this smart, just like Magnus is, so this will be okay. It will all be okay.” Robert said as reasoning, and okay, Alec trusted that Asmodeus was a smart man, and Alec definitely trusted Magnus. But this? This was the world’s worst idea. There was no way that this could end well.

Absolutely no way.

**_24 Hours ago..._ **

_22908, 21402, 22012..._

“They’re dates.” Magnus stated and reached for the pen and paper pad next to him.

They were all sat in the living room with the laptop on the coffee table. Tessa had left after dinner with the promise of returning tomorrow, letting them have their space to figure this out. Everyone had different expressions on their faces after Magnus opened the laptop but most of all it was pride, and now they were all sat together, trying to figure out what these folders were and what their titles meant.

“How do you know?” Robert asked as Magnus wrote down the numbers.

“My Dad once mentioned how certain military use this for times or dates but sometimes they couldn’t tell the difference so they stopped using it. Say today’s date, 28th December, you’d write two-two-eight-one-two. The first number tells you how many spaces in you go, so since it’s two, you go two in and you end up between the eight and the one meaning there’s a split there, so you get twenty eight and twelve. Now the folders could be times, but it wouldn’t work for that one-” Magnus pointed to the file named _2298, “_ -there’s no 29th hour so it has to be dates, making that one 29th August. Then that one the day he died, 20th December. That one’s 14th February and so on.” He explained.

With slight hesitation, Magnus hovered the curser over the file _22012_ before clicking it.

“No offence or anything but I thought it’d be more, like, cool.” Jace mumbled and Alec shot him a glare. “No I mean like this just looks normal. It’s just folders within folders.”

“But some of the date’s have been chosen for a specific reason,” Magnus started, eyeing them again on the notepad as the folder with the title _22012_ loaded. “I mean that’s Valentine’s Day, this one’s the day he died...those two are... _were_ mom’s and Halley’s birthday...” Magnus trailed off and Alec instantly placed a comforting hand on his back, just to show that he was there. He got a weak smile in return.

Everyone was silent after that, Magnus anxiously tapping his foot on the floor as he waited for the file to load and the rest of them looking between Magnus and the laptop. When it did finally load, Magnus made a funny sound in the back of his throat, it was like a mix between pride and frustration and Alec could see the hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

To him, it looked like something out of the matrix. The black backdrop and random letters, numbers and symbols scattered across the screen like they were placed in some specific order even though it looked like a mess from an untrained eye.

“What is it?” Robert spoke up and Magnus, who seemed to have been in some sort of trance, snapped his head up to look at him as if he’d forgotten Robert was there.

“I-I’m not sure...it looks sort of like this coding that my dad created, I remember seeing in-in the cabin, I don’t know what it’s for though.” Magnus eyed it warily as if it might just magically make sense, Alec was feeling sceptical though. It still looked like a mess to him.

“Maybe try another file.” Max offered and Magnus nodded, going back to the folders and clicking on _21402._ It took a noticeably less amount of time for this one to load which made Alec suspect that it had less contents; he was right.

Though this time, he could make out one word that kept popping up among the various letters and numbers on the screen:

_Irene_

“Mom.” Magnus whispered and Alec’s heart broke at the emotion behind that single word. Magnus reached out and with gentle fingers, traced over the screen. He sniffled a little and shook his head as if to pull himself together and Alec wanted to wrap him up in his arms and keep him safe from the horrible, horrible world.  Magnus cleared his throat and pointed to where there was the mass of nonsense surrounding the many ‘ _Irene’_ s, and when he spoke, his voice sounded on the verge of a breakdown. “This-this one is different. It’s a cipher but the other one had symbols and this one-it doesn’t...I think the other one was coding for something, maybe that dangerous tech...I’m-I’m not sure,” Magnus turned away from the screen and clenched his eyes shut, holding back his tears. “I’m gonna go to bed...I’ll look at this tomorrow and see if I can figure it out...goodnight.” And then without another word, he darted up the stairs.

**Magnus PV**

Magnus wasn’t sure why he felt so emotional. He thought he was over seeing his parent’s name written somewhere or a picture and instantly breaking down but clearly not. Maybe it was because he and his father were meant to be a team when it came to this sort of thing, they always worked together ever since Magnus could work around a computer and it had always been that way, but here there was evidence that his dad had been doing all of this behind his back.

Why would he hide that from Magnus?

Magnus heard the footsteps and he knew they were Alec, and for the first time ever, he wanted to be alone, even away from Alec.

So he curled up even more on Alec’s bed and buried his head into the pillow, calming his breathing down to a steady pace. He heard the door open and the footsteps come closer, he could feel the eyes on him.

He could probably tell Alec that he wanted to be alone and Alec would let him be, he was understanding like that, but Magnus couldn’t bring himself to say that to Alec, even if he did understand. There would be that little flash of pain in Alec’s eyes and Magnus didn’t want to see that knowing he’d been the cause.

Magnus felt the soft lips against his cheek and then the blanket being pulled over him. Then he felt the fingers thread through his hair carefully, pushing it back and away from where it was falling in his face.

“I’ll be downstairs if you need me...I love you.” Alec whispered and Magnus smiled despite himself, listening as the footsteps got further away and the door shut softly.

He lay there thinking about those files, why those dates and the coding. It was his dads own creation, that’s for sure, so decoding it would be difficult without the man here himself...

Is that what Valentine killed him for? Whatever he was designing? But if valentine wanted it, that meant that it had to be something that could do harm or at the very least be illegal...why would Asmodeus create something like that, even if it was by mistake?

Eventually, Magnus fell asleep with the whirlwind of questions going off on his mind, thinking how he could figure out the code and sort this shit out for final.

***

“Hey dad.” Magnus smiled a little sadly as he shut the front door.

“Hey kiddo, how was school? Did your IT presentation go well?” Asmodeus asked from the sofa and Magnus nodded.

“Yeah, I got a little off topic but it went well. Mrs Howard checked over my application too and gave me some ideas to make it better. She really thinks I have a shot.” It felt like he was just making up things as he went along, not really present in the conversation.

Everything felt dull around the house like a light had been sucked out of it, and in a way, it had. Halley wasn’t there.

“Of course you do son, MIT would be lucky to have you.” Magnus forced a smile and he could see that his dad was doing the same, and so without another word, he trudged up the stairs and headed for his room. Magnus froze just outside Halley’s room though as he heard the soft, muffled sobbing coming from the other side of the door.

He debated with himself if he should go in and comfort his mother but then decided against it. It was Hall’s room and he couldn’t go in there, not yet. It was too soon. So with a defeated sigh, he went into his room and flopped down on his bed, praying that she would be found and returned to them safely.

This family was breaking apart without her.

Magnus wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but when he woke up next, he could hear his father’s voice and it sounded like he was arranging to meet someone. Curious about the situation, Magnus peered out of his door and saw his father pacing the landing.

When he was off the phone, Magnus opened his door fully and crossed his arms over his chest. If it was about Halley, he wanted to know, but he couldn’t get his hopes up either. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, meeting a client. They’re interested in buying the deciphering chip.”

“You’re just gonna sell it?” Magnus asked disbelievingly and trying not to let his disappointment seep through his tone. “Just like that? What if they’re gonna use it against som-”

“Maggie relax, they work for the FBI. I doubt that would cause a problem, this sort of tech could help them.”

Magnus nodded and sighed. “Okay, yeah...I just...it feels weird to give it away so quickly after all the time we spent on it.”

“I know but there’s not much use for it sitting in the cabin is there?” Asmodeus countered and Magnus couldn’t really argue with that. It’s not like they had anything to encrypt and the FBI could use that to help with their cases.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Magnus sent a small smile his way and Asmodeus moved closer to kiss his forehead. He felt a pang at his chest and tried to choke back his tears. Maybe he was being overcautious and worrying too much but just the idea of his dad going somewhere made Magnus’ stomach flop, not knowing whether he’d come back or not after what happened with Halley. But still, he couldn’t keep being scared and if he could get to school and back in one piece then his father was more than capable with meeting someone from the FBI. Still, just to be safe, Magnus whispered a small “be careful.”

Asmodeus nodded and pulled Magnus into a hug, probably trying to fight back his own tears too. “Don’t worry about me; you know I’ve always got something up my sleeve.”

Magnus let out a little scoff at that and his smile that time wasn’t as forced. “I’ll be back soon, and see if you can get your mom to eat something okay? Please?” There was desperation and begging laced in his tone and Magnus couldn’t do anything except nod, knowing that this was hard on all of them.

***

Magnus woke up with a jolt, panting heavily, and placed his hand over his heart, feeling it beat hastily in his chest as he realised that somehow his subconscious gave him an idea through his dream.

He reached over the bed to pull Alec closer to him in an attempt to wake him up, and only when his arm hit the cold mattress did he remember that he had fallen asleep alone.

Magnus cursed his past self for not wanting Alec there and rushed out of bed to tell him his idea, wrapping the duvet around himself and running down the stairs, almost tripping on his own feet.

**Alec PV**

Alec sat on the couch, the only light coming from a little lamp on the table next to him. After checking on Magnus when he rushed away earlier, he realised Magnus wanted some time alone and so he let him be, returning downstairs.

The others had sent him knowing looks and eventually they all retired to sleep since it was quite late. Alec had stayed downstairs and was reading a novel the whole time, trying to distract himself from worrying about Magnus too much. He understood that he wanted to be alone and there was nothing wrong with that but he just felt overprotective, like he had to be there in case anything ever went wrong.

That’s why when he heard the footsteps rushing down the stairs, he panicked and immediately thought of the worst case scenario.

When Magnus appeared, wrapped in a duvet looking so cuddly and cute and adorable with his hair sleep mussed and eyes slightly droopy yet excited, Alec found a small smile tugging at his lips.

Magnus ran over to him as best he could while he was in a duvet sushi and once he reached Alec, he flopped down on top of him, wrapping the duvet around him too.

“Hi.” He whispered and Alec smiled at him, leaning up a little to kiss his nose.

“Hello.”

“I had an idea.” Magnus confessed, looking slightly nervous but still determined and Alec raised his eyebrows.

“Do go on.”

“But first I want to apologise.” Alec frowned and Magnus seemed to notice that as he lifted his hand and smoothed it over in between Alec’s eyebrows. “I’m sorry I just rushed away earlier, I just...I don’t know, was angry and hurt I guess but I’m sorry for basically sending you away.”

“Baby,” Alec smiled and took Magnus’ hand into his own, locking their fingers together. “it’s okay, I understand that you wanted some space and that’s totally fine.”

“Really?” Alec nodded and tried not to coo at Magnus’ adorable little nose scrunch. “I don’t get how someone so perfect could exist.” He muttered to himself and Alec blushed a little.

“Well I don’t know about perfect but I do exist, and I feel everything, including your elbow digging into my rib and your knee digging into my...” Alec trailed off and pointedly nodded his head down making Magnus gasp, giggle and then roll of Alec resulting in the both of them falling onto the floor rather ungracefully.

“Sorry.” Magnus apologised through his laughter and Alec groaned before shifting so he was on his side facing Magnus.

“What was your idea?” Alec asked in a hushed tone.

“Idea?” Magnus frowned and then his eyes widened as if he’d forgotten and suddenly remembered. “I think...I think I know how to decipher it.” He whispered.

“The files and coding?” Alec asked raising both his eyebrows and watched as Magnus nodded and bit his lower lip. Alec ran his thumb over it, releasing it from his teeth. “How?”

“There was this chip; I made it with my dad. It could decrypt any encrypted file. I’m not gonna be able to crack the stuff on the laptop myself, it’s one of my dad’s own codes and I could never figure them out, no one could, but if we get the chip, I could do it.”

Alec nodded, his eyes widening as realisation struck him. “Where is it? Do you know?”

Magnus made a funny noise from the back of his throat and gave a sheepish smile, one that Alec found all too adorable. “Well, uh, I think my dad sold it to some FBI guy,” Alec raised an eyebrow as if to ask ‘well now what?’, but Magnus answered before he could voice his concerns. “maybe if I...if _we_ go back to the-the cabin, I could see if any of the schematics and coding for it are there and I could make it again?” He bit his lip again and Alec stayed silent for a few moments.

Magnus sounded unsure when he said it, as if he didn’t know if he could rebuild it, but Alec had complete faith in him and so he nodded. “Yeah, yeah okay. We can go tomorrow with dad...are you sure you’re okay to go back there?”

He turned his head to the side, averting his gaze from Alec’s and then looked back, cold hard determination visible in them. “Yeah, I am.”

Alec smiled and leaned forward to kiss him but Magnus moved his head at the last second and Alec ended up kissing his cheek. There was a playful glint in his eyes when he looked back. “Why were you awake? It’s late.” Magnus asked.

“I wasn’t really tired,” Alec answered, deciding not to tell him that he’d stayed awake in case Magnus had a nightmare or wanted to talk, well that and the fact that Alec found it hard to fall asleep without Magnus by his side. Was that too dependent of him? He shook his head and focused back on Magnus who had this funny look on his face, it was like half amusement and half fondness and Alec suddenly felt like Magnus could see right through him and his silly little facade.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Yep, he definitely saw through Alec’s facade.

“I love you too...now are we gonna sleep on the floor or do you wanna go back upstairs?”

“I thought you said you weren’t tired.” Magnus teased and Alec huffed before pulling himself to his feet.

“Come on, we’ve got a big day tomorrow what with you pulling ideas out of every corner.” He held out his hands and Magnus accepted them, hauling himself up too with a smirk on his face.

“Oh Alexander, don’t be too hard on yourself. You have other redeeming qualities.” Magnus teased.

“Oh yeah?” Alec asked, pulling Magnus in by the waist and holding his body close. “Like what?”

“Let me show you.” Magnus whispered and closed the distance between them.

It was a soft kiss, no tongue or teeth, just a light press of the lips but they were both breathless when they pulled back. Magnus took his hand and led him upstairs, the duvet dragging behind the both of them.

Once they were in Alec’s room, Magnus pushed Alec back onto the bed with a hand on his chest and followed, crawling over him with pure lust in his eyes. It was almost too overwhelming for Alec but he managed to hold himself together and bought Magnus’ lips back to his with a gentle hand on the back of Magnus’ neck.

One of Magnus’ hands reached up to tangle around Alec’s hair while the other dropped down between them. Alec gasped into their kiss when Magnus cupped him through the fabric of his sweatpants and Magnus used that to his advantage, lightly pressing his tongue into Alec’s mouth.

Alec rutted up against the warm, welcoming hand and Magnus sneaked his way in below the waistband of Alec’s pants and boxers, curling his fingers around Alec’s cock.

“Shit...Magnus.” Alec breathed out. Magnus trailed wet kisses down Alec’s jaw line, nipping lightly before moving to suck a bruise on his neck.

Alec snaked his hand between them too, reaching straight into Magnus’ boxers and letting out a breathy moan when his hand gripped Magnus’ hot and hard erection.

Magnus ran his thumb over the tip of Alec’s cock, smearing the pre-come that had gathered there allowing him to pump his hand with less resistance. Alec thrust up into Magnus’ hand just as Magnus did into his, their frantic pants the only sound filling the room.

He ran his free hand over Magnus’ back, slipping beneath the fabric to touch his burning, smooth skin. His nails raked over the expanse when Magnus did a particular hard tug making him moan rather loudly. 

Magnus laughed breathily and moved his head up from Alec’s neck to latch their lips together. It was messy and sloppy but Alec couldn’t bring himself to care when his orgasm was pooling in his stomach.

Wanting to feel more, Alec reached his hand behind to fondle at Magnus’ balls a little while the one on Magnus’ back came around to the front of his chest, moving up to tweak at the hard nubs of Magnus’ nipples.

“Alexander...”

“Are you-mmh...are you close? Plea-please say you’re close.” Alec begged and Magnus nodded with a whispered ‘yes’ against his lips.

It didn’t take many tugs for Alec to fall over the edge, Magnus a few more jerks after him. Alec shuddered as he came into Magnus’ hand, feeling Magnus come too and his hot release cover his own hand.

Magnus pulled back a little once they’d caught their breath and Alec removed his hand from Magnus’ pants, brought it up to his mouth before taking two of his fingers in, sucking off Magnus’ come and moaning as he did so. Magnus just stared at him, dumbfounded, and as soon as Alec released his fingers, he had a mouth full of Magnus’ lips and tongue. He smiled into the kiss, trying to hold back his laughter at Magnus’ eagerness.

“Couldn’t let it all go to waste.” Alec mumbled against Magnus’ lips.

“You’re filthy and I love it.” Magnus pressed one more lingering kiss before completely getting off Alec. He reached for his hand and pulled him out of the bed, leading him to the bathroom.

Once they’d cleaned themselves up, Alec curled up to Magnus’ side in the bed, resting his head over Magnus’ chest and listening to the steady thumping of Magnus’ heart as he fell asleep.

**Magnus PV**

The next morning, breakfast passed by in minutes as everyone was eager to see if they could recreate the chip. Magnus had told Alec that he’d be okay to return to the cabin and mostly he was, however there was this unnerving feeling in his stomach making him feel nauseous, and though he hated lying to Alec, he nodded and mumbled ‘I’m okay’ every time Alec gave him a look.

Robert was quick to agree to Magnus’ idea, probably because he too wanted to see what this tech was that Asmodeus had been creating. Magnus was feeling conflicted though, he still wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that his dad had created something that could be used as a weapon on a Valentine scale.

The ride to the cabin was fairly silent. Robert sat in the front with Isabelle, who’d asked to come along since Jace was with Clary. Alec had one of Magnus’ hands in his own, idly fiddling with the few rings he had put on that day while he watched everything out of the window.

The four of them were aware of the car following them but they knew it wouldn’t do anything since Valentine definitely wanted Magnus alive. It felt weird to be that exception to someone yet only because they wanted your talents and skills rather than actually _you_ , not that Magnus wanted Valentine to want him for _him._ That would be beyond creepy.

Also, the stalkers wouldn’t actually follow them into the house, maybe not even down the road since it was one way and only led to that cabin. Despite that, Magnus wasn’t feeling all too nervous about those following them. He was pissed, yes, but not nervous.

When they finally arrived, Magnus sucked in a deep breath and steeled himself for entering. Alec must have noticed his hesitation - probably because Magnus was gripping his hand like a vice - as he turned to him with a small smile.

“I’ll be right with you.” He whispered and Magnus managed a smile of his own. He got out of the car and as soon as Alec was by his side again, he reached for his hand. Isabelle came to his other side offering her hand and Magnus gladly took it.

He walked in with tentative steps but then chastised himself. He could do this. He had Alec and Isabelle and Robert with him and even if the place was filled with horrible, terrible memories, he might not have returned back to Alec if it wasn’t for this place so there was some good that came out of it.

That said, Magnus didn’t want to stay there for too long, so he went down to the basement and instantly starting scurrying away through the drawers and cabinets to find anything that might help, purposely avoiding _that_ spot.

Robert unfolded the cardboard boxes they had bought and stood by. Magnus noticed he looked a little uncomfortable and he closed his eyes, knowing that he’d put that pain there. He paused in his hunt and moved over to Robert as Alec and Isabelle looked through other drawers, not paying much attention to them.

Magnus took Robert’s hand in his own and gave it a little squeeze. “I’m here. It’s okay.” He whispered.

Robert looked at him, his eyes shining slightly with unshed tears. He pulled Magnus to him and gave him a little hug. “I love you son.”

Magnus’ heart ached with happiness. “I love you too.”

So after half an hour of rummaging, they barely found anything of use. It seemed as if either someone had already come and cleared out the important stuff or Asmodeus had gotten rid of it himself. Either way, there were no schematics or coding for Magnus to go off and he was feeling pretty defeated.

They packed up most of what they could find anyway, just in case it was of use in the future and Alec found a medal that Magnus remembered he won when he was 8 for a swimming competition. It was odd that he found something so random of his there but it still made him feel happy that he found it.

On the way out of the cabin, Magnus heard the clicking of a camera coming from somewhere in the trees and he wondered if Valentine’s men could be more obvious. What did they take them for? Oblivious idiots?

Anger and rage was boiling inside of him as he realised how controlling Valentine was, how they weren’t even allowed to leave the house in peace without his stupid little minions following their every move. Was Valentine that desperate? It was pathetic really.

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked as they drove away from the cabin.

“Nothing,” Magnus answered. “why?”

“You’ve got that little crinkle above your left eyebrow that you get when you’re pissed or worried.” Magnus felt a small smile tug at his lips. He had no idea that he did that but the fact that Alec noticed it made him love him even more. “Are you upset that it was a bust? Because I’m sure we’ll figure something els-” Magnus shook his head, stopping Alec mid sentence. “What is it then?”

“It’s just shitty that we can’t even go out for like ice cream without Valentine’s dimwits following us or having the threat of being kidnapped looming over us.”

“He’s got a point dad,” Isabelle said from the front seat. “We can’t just keep him and Alec locked in the house all day for the rest of their lives, or any of us for that matter.”

“I know that,” Robert sighed heavily. “but I can’t lose one of you to him.”

“So what? We just keep them in the house until you guys arrest him? How long is that gonna take?” she countered.

Magnus stayed silent in the backseat just like Alec. It was nice to see that Isabelle wanted them to have a bit of freedom but Magnus understood Robert’s point of view too, so he watched as Robert’s face contorted into one of deep thought.

“Izzy, there’s not much we can do. We have little evidence on him now,” Magnus tried to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest and gratefully accepted Alec’s reassuring smile. “we’ve never been able to track him and if it’s Magnus’ skill set that he wants then he’s not gonna stop until either he gets it or we put him in jail. There’s no bargain when it comes to him. He’s always played us like a string on puppets and this time is no different.”

Magnus’ heart ached at Robert’s tone of voice. He sounded so _tired_ , and Magnus didn’t blame him. This case had been going on for over 7 years and each time they had him within reach, he just slipped right back out.

He mulled over Robert’s words as the car fell silent. He desperately wanted to be free from Valentine but he also wanted him to rot in prison where he belonged along with his disciples.

It was then that an idea formed in his head, one that was most probably incredibly stupid, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

“Let’s reverse the roles then.” He declared as they stepped into the house.

“What?” Robert asked while Izzy and Alec just gave him a funny look.

“Okay,” Magnus started and ushered them to take a seat on the couch as he began pacing. “this is gonna sound unbelievably stupid but just hear me out. Valentine wants the laptop because he believes my dad’s secret weapon tech is on it, which it is, but he has to actually get the laptop open to get access to it, and on top of that, he needs to decipher it which he wouldn’t be able to do without the key. That’s two, extremely defensive strategies to stop him from actually getting into it, right?” At the other’s nods, he continued. “So, what if we gave it to him with a tracker hidden in it?”

“Magnus, you can’t thi-” Robert started but Magnus stopped him.

“No no, just think about it. I could copy the files so we have them and then work on the chip. I know we couldn’t find anything in the cabin but with some time, I think I might be able to recreate it. I can put a tracker in one of the keys on the keyboard so you can see where the laptop goes and therefore see where he goes. You can keep surveillance wherever he is and rebuild your case file and once you have enough to prosecute him, you arrest him. All the while, he thinks he has the upper hand because he’s got the laptop and in the end he won’t even be able to get the damn thing open.”

Robert seemed to think over this in silence and Magnus waited patiently, watching as the cogs turned in his head. He sneaked a glance at Isabelle who had a proud smile on her face and Alec who was also deep in thought.

Eventually, Robert spoke up. “But why would you just hand it over? I mean he wouldn’t be convinced it was legit and trustworthy if you just gave it to him after all this time of us saying no.”

“Yeah but he doesn’t know that I know the truth behind my dad’s death. He’s still painting you as the bad guy so if I met with him alone, I coul-”

“No, no way Magnus.” Alec interrupted, a hint of fear in his eyes. “You can’t...I can’t let you go see him like that. Who knows what he might do.”

“I’ll have the upper hand though and-”

“Still baby, you can’t do that. He already had you once, what if he takes you again? He’s a murderer and a psychopath-”

“And I want revenge. I want him to get what he deserves. I want to be able to go out the house without being stalked and followed like I’m some prize they can win so they get their sick way. I want you to be able to go back to work, for Max to be safe at school. We can’t keep hiding Alexander and this is stupid and reckless but it just might work.”

Alec looked away and Magnus could see his lip trembling as he fought back his tears. He wanted to go and hold him, comfort him and tell him that it would work but Robert’s voice stopped him.

“Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you go and meet him alone with the laptop, then what?”

“I say that we’ve all tired opening it but we couldn’t and that you hid it but I took it and that I’ll give it to him, he can try opening it himself and do whatever with it but only if he backs off. He has to stop following us and reaching out to us, basically just leave us alone.”

“But why would he believe that you’d go behind dads back and hand it over after everything that happened? Why would he believe you’d choose to stay with dad if he still thinks you don’t know the truth?” Isabelle asked.

“He’s under the pretence that I believe Robert killed my dad and he thinks he can manipulate me to his will and that I’ll stay oblivious to his true intentions. He makes it out like I’m just some dependent kid, so let me use it to my advantage. I could say that I’m only staying here because of Alexander and that I agreed to not hand over the video he gave as long as Robert didn’t arrest me for deleting the evidence. And that in handing the laptop over, I give one final blow to Robert and I get to carry on with my normal life. He doesn’t even know that I know what he wants off the laptop so he’d have no reason not to believe me.”

“You think it’d work dad?” Izzy asked. “He makes a solid case.”

Magnus bit his lip in anticipation, waiting to hear what Robert had to say and from the corner of his eye observing how Alec was incredibly tense and still looking away.

“Are you sure he wouldn’t be able to open the laptop and decode it? He can’t get his hands on that tech Magnus. Whatever it is, it has got to be incredibly dangerous.”

“I’m positive. That thing can’t be opened by force and the hard drive will blow up if he tries to remove it. And even if he does get it open, which I doubt he will, that’s my dad’s own written code, they won’t be able to crack it.” Magnus answered with no hesitation.

“And what of the tracking?”

“I can use one of your police issued trackers and modify it so that NYPD can’t track it in case of moles, only we can. And it’ll be hidden so they won’t notice it’s there. It buys you enough time to build up the case and me enough time to rebuild the chip and find out what it was that my dad was making.”

Robert sighed heavily and stood up. “I don’t like it, Magnus. In fact, I hate it...but it’s the best we’ve got right now and I trust you if you believe this will work.”

“It will.” Magnus said determinedly.

“Alright then, I’ll call Jace and have him pick up a deactivated tracker on the way home from Clary’s.”

Magnus let out a sigh of relief but it was short lived when Alec abruptly stood from his seat and ran up the stairs without so much as a word.

“He’ll come around, Magnus. Don’t worry.” Robert patted his back and walked into the kitchen, phone in hand.

Isabelle ran up to him and took both of his hands in hers, swaying them side to side. “That was like, I don’t know, but you were brilliant. I really think this will work.”

Magnus smiled sadly with a look to the stairs. “Thank you cupcake, I hope so.”

“Dad’s right, he’ll come around. We’re all worried about you and I know mom for sure is gonna throw a fit when she hears about this but I think you’re so brave Magnus, you’re incredible and I’m proud of you. Alec will be too.” She smiled and kissed his cheek before walking away.

With a sad sigh, Magnus sat down on the sofa, thinking that he should probably give Alec some time. It had only been three minutes when he said ‘fuck it’, if there was a problem, they should talk about it straight away and he couldn’t bear the thought of Alec being sad, so he rushed up the stairs to Alec’s room, trying to figure out what to say to reassure Alec that he would be okay. He was surprised to find the room empty when he got there but then noticed the trail of clothing leading to the bathroom along with the distant sound of the shower running.

Magnus contemplated whether he should wait to go in but then decided against it and walked up to the door, knocking softly.

“Alexander, can I come in?”

When there was no reply, Magnus tried the handle and was glad to see that it was unlocked. What he saw inside though broke his heart and part of him wished it had been locked.

Alec was sat in the tub with his knees bought up to his chest, his arms hugging them as he rested his head there and cried. The shower ran over his head and down his body and he was shivering slightly so Magnus suspected that the water was cold.

Magnus hurriedly reached for a towel and turned the water off before draping the towel around Alec’s shoulders. “Darling, come on,” Magnus tried as he tugged on Alec’s arms to get him out of the tub. When he wouldn’t move, Magnus knelt beside the edge and ran a hand up and down Alec’s back. “You’re going to get cold Alexander, please, come on.”

In one swift movement, before Magnus could even do anything, Alec got out of the tub and knelt beside him before wrapping the towel tighter around himself and burying his head in the crook of Magnus’ neck.

Magnus’ arms instantly wove around Alec and he held him close as he cried, his sobs now muffled by Magnus’ neck.

“Please Magnus... _please_ don’t go to him.” Alec cried.

“Oh my darling,” Magnus breathed out and repositioned himself so that he was sitting with his back resting against the edge of the tub. He pulled Alec into his lap and cradled him close, not caring about the cold water that was seeping through his clothes.

Alec bought his knees up again and Magnus was briefly struck by how small Alec looked at that moment, it broke his heart to know that he’d caused it.

“I’ll be okay Alexander, he can’t hurt me anymore.” Magnus whispered softly as he ran his fingers through Alec’s wet hair a couple of times before settling his palm on Alec’s cheek, his other arm wrapped around Alec keeping him from falling back.

“He did though,” Alec sobbed. “He lied to you and played you and...and Sebastian _hit_ you. They-they killed your dad...you can’t go and meet him Magnus...what if they...what if they do something?”

“It’s the only way though, we can stop him darling. It’ll work.”

“Why can’t you just let dad handle it...let the police-the police handle it? It’s not your-your job to put him in jail.” He hiccupped.

“But I want to. He’s taken so much from me, I can’t just sit by and watch everyone else do the work. He deserves to be put in prison and die there and I want to help make sure of it. I won’t let him hurt me anymore and I promise I’ll be okay my muffin, it’ll all be okay.”

Alec was silent for a few moments, sniffling softly into Magnus’ neck. When he spoke again, it was barely above a whisper. “You haven’t called me that since before...since before everything.”

“Muffin?” Alec nodded against him and Magnus smiled a little. “A lot has happened and a lot has changed since then...I’ve changed. I’ve spent the past week - no, the past _months_ cowering away from everything, I basically hit rock bottom and I haven’t even tried to get back up since I’ve been back but I can’t keep hiding Alexander. I have to get back up. For the first time in a long time I think I can be properly happy, with you, with everyone. I know what I want to do as a career, I have a family full of wonderful people who love me for me and most of all I have you, my future. The only thing in the way is Valentine and I’ve done nothing so far except be scared of him...scared to the point where he’s always taunting me in the back of my mind like an itch that won’t go away and it’s weighing me down. I’ve even subconsciously stopped calling you my muffin,” Magnus smiled when Alec chuckled a little. “the point is, I don’t want his dead weight dragging behind me. I don’t want to be scared. I want to stop him. And I promise you darling, nothing, and I mean _nothin_ g, will take me away from you.”

“I believe you.” Alec said in a small voice and snuggled closer to Magnus.

He held Alec close and they sat in silence for a while, soaking in the other’s presence.

“It’s a really good plan...I just didn’t say that earlier because I didn’t want you to meet with that dickhead.” Alec confessed and a happy laugh escaped Magnus’ throat.

“I love you so much darling, so so much.” Magnus said through his laughter.

“Love you too.” Alec replied and pressed a light kiss on Magnus’ neck. “You know, I think this is the longest I’ve been naked around you, especially sitting on your lap, without us having sex. Excluding when we’re sleeping of course.”

Magnus scoffed and shook his head fondly. “Want to change that?”

Before Alec could respond, there was a knock on Alec’s bedroom door and Izzy’s voice sounded from the other side. “Jace is here with the tracking thingy Magnus, and dad’s making stir fry for lunch if you or Alec are hungry.”  

“Postpone my offer till later?” Magnus asked, waggling his eyebrows and looking at Alec who was still cradled in his arms all cute and wet like an adorable puppy.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“We’ll be down in a couple of minutes!” Magnus called out to Izzy with a grin and they both heard her laughter as she walked away.

***

“Is that it?” Alec asked in disbelief from where he was wrapped in a blanket sat on the seat next to Magnus at the dining table.

“Yep.” Magnus answered simply.

“It’s so...so small though.”

“That’s kind of the point darling, trackers are meant to be discreet.”  Alec hummed and peered over, eyeing all the gadgets and gizmos laid out before them on the table.

Magnus had successfully copied all the files onto a hard drive and Robert had stored it away in the safe’s hidden compartment. After a bit of wiring and coding, Magnus had the tracker ready to go and for the sole purpose of humour, he made two rather than one, sticking them under the ‘f’ and ‘u’ keys on the keyboard.

Once he’d closed the laptop, they all heard the click signalling that it couldn’t be opened again unless using the watch and that was the final step before Magnus had to call the bugger himself.

“So we’re really doing this? Like this is actually what we’ve resorted to?” Jace asked, anxiously bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“It’s the best we’ve had in months, heck, _years_ Jace, and it’s a solid plan.” Robert countered and Magnus nodded along.

He’d never felt so sure about anything before and he couldn’t help the giddy feeling of excitement rising in him at the thought of getting that scum locked away forever. It only added to his determination and motivation, and one look at Alec - who was sat worrying away at his lower lip looking far too adorable in that blanket with his hair all messy - made Magnus certain that doing this was the right thing. He wanted a proper future with Alec, one where he was free and happy and if having to meet with Valentine was required to get there then so be it. Magnus could do it.

“Here.” Isabelle offered a small smile as she handed Magnus his real phone, since they had switched to burners in the last few days.

Magnus looked up to Robert after keying in the number on the dial pad and once he got a reaffirming nod and shoulder pat, Magnus pressed _call_.

The wait was honestly agonizing and Magnus couldn’t help but reach out for Alec’s hand once he heard Sebastian’s voice on the other line.

_“Well well well, look who finally decided to call.”_

Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, steeling himself and hoping that his voice didn’t come across shaky and nervous. “I’d like to speak to Valentine.”

_“About what?”_

Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed into the receiver. “He’s your boss, he wants something that I have and if I remember correctly, the letter was from him, not you princess, so Valentine, please.” There was no actual sincerity behind the ‘please’ and both of them knew it, but if Sebastian’s muttered curse was anything to go by then Magnus assumed he’d won this one, and he felt pretty good.

Less than a minute later, Valentine’s voice came through the speaker and it was as cold and heartless as ever making shivers run down Magnus’ spine.

_“Magnus, so glad you finally called.”_

“Well it wasn’t to discuss pleasantries with you,” Magnus retorted dryly, unable to keep his distaste for the man out of his tone. “I’d like to offer a deal, one that would benefit us both mutually. If you’re interested, be at the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park for 9pm. And don’t bring any of your guard dogs, I prefer to lessen the amount of stupid I surround myself with.” Magnus hung up before Valentine could get a response in and let out a shaky exhale once he had done so.

“Hey,” Alec whispered next to him. “you did good.”

Magnus smiled a little and nodded, because yeah, he did do good. He then abruptly stood up and clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road then.”

***

Magnus wasn’t sure where his optimism from before had come from, probably the adrenaline of having some form of plan that didn’t have the only ending as a _fail._ That said, as soon as he stepped into the park, alone, wearing the tracker and receiver in his bracelet - so that they could listen in and follow him in case Valentine tried anything - he began to panic. 

“Holy shit okay. Okay, this is okay.” Magnus muttered to himself, walking through the park to the Alice in Wonderland statues as he nervously fiddled with his rings.

He almost jumped two feet in the air when Alec’s voice spoke through his ear. “Baby it’s okay. We’re all here, and as much as I want for you to not be there and for me to kill the fucker, I believe in you. You got this.”

Magnus ‘mhm’d and sat down on the steps surrounding the statues. He was a little early but they weren’t even sure if Valentine was going to show up.

As every second went by, Magnus was beginning to regret his decision to ever do this. Valentine was never going to believe it, and what if Alec was right to have been worried earlier? What if Valentine tried to take him again?

Well he won’t go without a fight, that’s for sure.

Besides, Robert, Alec and Jace were all in the car just outside the park, and Will was strolling around with Isabelle in a disguise nearby just in case anything went wrong.

If they actually wanted to catch Valentine, they would be covered right about now. But that would be a bad move since they had no official evidence to hold against him. That was probably why even though Magnus sort of had the upper hand here what with deciding the meeting place and being in possession of the laptop, Valentine still decided to show up, dead on time.

Magnus inhaled sharply and tried to calm his nerves, letting Alec’s whispered words of encouragement in his ear soothe him.

“It’s nice to see you again Magnus.” Valentine greeted as he took a seat.

“I wish I could say the same.” Magnus said as calmly as he could.

“No you don’t.”

“You’re right, I don’t.” Magnus confessed and then decided to get straight to the point. “I want you to stop spying on and following me and the others around.” Valentine looked a little taken aback by the sudden demand but schooled his features quite quickly.

“You said a deal, what are you offering in return? Your cooperation? You’ll work with me?”

Magnus scoffed in disbelief. “Of course not, I don’t agree with whatever it is that you’re doing or planning and I don’t want any part of it, however, I’m willing to play a small part if it’ll get you to stop acting so pathetic and needy by following my every step.”

Valentine looked angered at Magnus’ choice of words and he could hear Robert’s voice in his ear saying that he shouldn’t purposely aggravate him.

“Why are you even staying with Robert and his fag of a son?” Magnus flinched and tried not to unleash hell on him. “He killed your father!”

_No, you did, you lying shit._

Magnus suppressed his inner rage and managed a nonchalant shrug. “I forgave him.”

“Why?” Valentine sounded a little desperate now and it made Magnus see that he really did have the upper hand. Valentine really wanted Magnus on his side.

“Because I’m tired of living in the past. I want to move on and you keep trailing me like I’m something that can be bought. I’m not going to work for you, I don’t want to, so stop following me, stop following Alexander and his family, my friends and everyone we know. I want you to leave us alone, you can do whatever you want but we don’t exist to you.”

Valentine pondered on that for a moment before speaking again. “And what do I get in return?”

“The laptop.”

He scoffed and shook his head as if that was too good to be true...in a way, it was. “And how do you know where it is?”

“I know where Robert hid it, I stole from him before, I know my way around the house, what makes you think I can’t find a simple laptop?” 

“And why does he still keep you, after stealing from him?” Magnus rolled his eyes at him. What was this? 21 questions?

“We called a truce, I don’t hand over the evidence of the video and he doesn’t press charges for what I did.” Magnus lied.

“So what? He shot your father, killed him, and you called a simple truce?”

“He had his reasons.”

“Like what?”

“That doesn’t matter. Point is, I got the evidence cleared _and_ I’m now offering you the laptop, you’re in the clear to do as you please, as long as you leave us alone.”

“What about Robert? Does he know you’re here and offering the laptop as an exchange?”

“You tell me, you follow us all around so it’s not like you don’t already know the answer. I’m not stupid enough that I’d think you’d come without doing recon.” Magnus answered dryly.

“Why would he let you give it to me?” Valentine then asked after a moment of silence, obviously ignoring Magnus’ statement that was with no doubt true.

“Partly because he doesn’t want to go to prison, I have the evidence after all, and also because it’s of no use.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You do ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” Magnus asked rhetorically and shook his head, more than done with this conversation at this point. He wasn’t even scared anymore, he just felt pity for the man, for his desperation. “It means that I can’t open it, and neither can Robert. My dad must have done something to it so there’s no way to get in, not that I know of anyway.”

Valentine scoffed but his face was pulled in an expression of rage. “Why would I accept it then? And why should I even believe you?”

“Just because I couldn’t open it doesn’t mean you or your _co-workers­_ couldn’t. You have incentive, I don’t. And as for believing me, that’s entirely up to you. But do you really think I’d visit you again if this was all a lie? All I want is my freedom and if I’m prepared to meet _you_ again then that should give you enough reason to believe me.”

The air around them became even tenser if that was possible as Valentine thought over Magnus’ words. Magnus hoped that he sounded convincing enough and that Valentine was foolish enough to believe it because otherwise this would have been for nothing. It seemed as though he’d said the right thing though because a few moments later, Valentine spoke up with fierce determination.

“I want to inspect it.”

“Of course you do,” Magnus sighed but reached into his bag anyway, protruding the laptop along with a small screwdriver kit. He handed them over to Valentine and watched in amusement as he tried to open the laptop normally, sighing in frustration when it wouldn’t budge.

As he unscrewed the back, Magnus handed over a torch, offering a smile that held no kindness behind it, and allowed Valentine some time to search the back. When he got to the CPU, Magnus held his breath but the other didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about it, much to Magnus’ delight.

It was when he started unscrewing the hard drive that Magnus reached out and stopped him with a hand on his forearm, instantly pulling back at the touch. It was as if the man’s coldness and cruelty made his exterior just as cold, even through the layers of clothing.

Valentine raised his eyebrows in question and Magnus cleared his throat before speaking. “I tried that too, but don’t hold your breath. There’s wires connecting it to a small explosive and if you try to remove that hard drive, it’ll blow up and you’ll be left with nothing.”

“So you’re telling me that I can’t open the damn thing normally and I can’t copy the hard drive? What use do I have of it?”

Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as if preparing himself for talking to a child. “Just because I couldn’t find the time and effort to find a way to open it without it blowing up doesn’t mean you can’t.”

Valentine seemed to contemplate this for a few moments and Magnus tried to fight back his smile when he gave up the argument, knowing Magnus had won.

“Okay...I’ll buy it, you have your freedom.” He said and Magnus turned to him with fierce eyes showing no room for negotiation.

“Not just my freedom, Alexander’s too, his family’s, our friends. All of ours. I don’t want you even uttering our names to anyone, you have what you want and that’s the end of our story, don’t reach out to us, we don’t exist to you. Do whatever the hell you want but leave us out of it,” Magnus stood and loomed over Valentine, feeling so much adrenaline pumping through his veins that he felt like he could pick up a car. “and if I so much as see _one_ person following me or any of us around or taking our picture, even if I see that you’re still tracking our internet searches and phone calls, you _will_ be sorry. Don’t underestimate me or any one of my friends for that matter because otherwise I won’t stop until you’re rotting behind bars _begging_ me to have mercy. You have people in the NYPD working for you, what makes you think there isn’t someone on your end feeding us information? What makes you think that I couldn’t find you wherever you choose to hide? Because I could, and I would have no problem doing so if you broke this arrangement. I’m giving you an easy way out here, I’m giving you the chance to do whatever you want to do, I’m giving you the damn laptop and I’m giving you your freedom, all I ask for return is mine. Do we have a deal, Morgenstern?”

Magnus’ eyes narrowed as if to dare Valentine to speak against him and he held out his hand, watching as Valentine eyed it and gulped, an almost fearful expression on his face. It was odd for Magnus, to have that much power over someone who one had the exact same power over him, and he wasn’t sure where his threat had come from, or the lies that it entailed, but he was sure glad he said it because Valentine nodded and shook his hand, looking surprisingly truthful when he uttered out his confirmation.

“Deal.”

**Alec PV**

“This is a terrible idea. No, in fact, this is worse than terrible. This is the epitome of terrible ideas; it’s like, worse than making a deal with the Devil. Please tell me this is not what we are resorting to?” Alec argued.

“Son, it’s all we can do right now. And I trust that Asmodeus was this smart, just like Magnus is, so this will be okay. It will all be okay.” Robert said as reasoning, and okay, Alec trusted that Asmodeus was a smart man, and Alec definitely trusted Magnus. But this? This was the world’s worst idea. There was no way that this could end well.

Absolutely no way.

 Alec didn’t think he’d ever been that nervous before, he felt as if he might just burst from anxiousness and his worry for Magnus was seriously taking itself to a whole new level.

He tried to stay calm and collected, for Magnus’ sake, since he was the one meeting the sick bastard and not Alec, but inside he was quite literally experiencing some form or tornado in him that made him want to just hunch over and empty his stomach contents.

But then, as he listened on to Magnus’ conversation and saw how Robert and Jace kept glancing at each other with proud looks, Alec felt all his worries dissipate.

Magnus was fucking amazing. He was incredible. And he was entirely _his._

He literally wiped the floor with Valentine and even Alec couldn’t suppress a shiver at Magnus’ tone of voice. He didn’t realise that it could be so cold and filled with hatred and he was beyond ecstatic that he wasn’t on the other end of that conversation. But Magnus had such an air of confidence to his voice, such dominance, and Alec couldn’t hide his grin even if he tried.

When he returned to the car, Alec literally threw himself in Magnus’ arms, they were shaking slightly but Alec could practically feel Magnus’ smile emanating off of him, and when he laughed, Alec could have died at how happy and overjoyed it sounded.

“You...oh my gosh...that was fucking amazing...you were just...wow.” Alec breathed out in admiration and peppered kisses all over Magnus’ face, not having a single care in the world for the fact that they had an audience.

Magnus beamed at him and then turned to look at Robert’s proud smile. His hands were trembling slightly and so Alec took them into his, kissing all over his palms, knuckles and fingertips, all the while Magnus talking to Robert about something that Alec couldn’t hear over the sound of his heart banging in his chest.

He didn’t even notice when Isabelle and Will got into the car and they started heading home, too enraptured by how Magnus handled the situation.

For someone that was given every reason to hate on the world, to lash out and resort to violence, Magnus was the epitome of good. His heart was pure gold and Alec had never felt more honoured to call Magnus his, and to be equally Magnus’. It was the best feeling in the world and Alec’s smile never wavered for a second on the journey home.

They were bombarded with Maryse’ panic-stricken voice as soon as they set foot into the house. She rushed over to them and her eyes found Magnus’ before she pulled him into a tight hug.

“Are you okay? Did anything happen to you honey?” she asked, cupping his face in both her hands. She then looked up to Robert with a glare before Magnus could even reply. “You will _not_ send him out like that again.”

Robert cowered a little from her gaze but Magnus saved the situation, chuckling a little and pulling Maryse back into a hug. “I’m okay, really okay. He took it. He accepted the deal.”

A happy and relieved sounding cry came from Maryse and when she pulled back, Alec saw a few tears in her eyes. It was heart warming, the love they all had for Magnus and the need for him to be safe.

Max came up and fist bumped Magnus, grinning widely. “Good job bro.” 

“You guys didn’t see his face though,” Izzy started as she kicked off her sneakers – Alec only now noticing that she was wearing something other than heels for the first time in years – and plopped down on the sofa. “For a big bad criminal boss, he sure looked like he was going to shit himself when Magnus went full on threatening mode on him.”

“Speaking of, where did that even come from?” Jace piped up and Magnus shrugged, though his energy was anything but casual. He was practically buzzing.

“I had to make sure he’d keep up his end of the bargain and it sort of just came out, lie upon lie. I don’t even know if he’s got moles on his side but either way it felt good to have power over him for once. I literally feel so high right now like I can’t stop shaking.” As if to prove his point, Magnus held out his hands that were still trembling. “I feel like I could punch a wall.”

A series of laughter followed that but Alec just made a pained sound in his throat before reaching out and grasping at Magnus’ outstretched hands. “Please don’t.”

Magnus shook his head fondly and smiled up at Alec. “I won’t.”

“Right,” Robert began, eyeing the two with a small, content smile. “bed time, all of you. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow we can use the tracker to see where that son of a bitch is hiding.”

Everyone nodded and bit their goodnights, only Max with a solemn face at being told to go to bed, and made their way up the stairs to their respective rooms.

As soon as the door shut, Alec had his arms full of Magnus. “Alexander, I can’t begin to explain how satisfying that was. I-it felt incredible to talk like that to him, to actually put him in his place. I spent that whole month obeying his stupid orders and being terrified of everything but that, tonight, it was just exhilarating. I can’t wait to put that fucker in jail and laugh at the pitiable bastard for thinking he could ever use me.”

Alec smiled, carefree and happy, to see Magnus being so sure of himself, to be sure of the fact that yes, he is bloody amazing and incredible.

“I love you, and you were a total badass out there. I kinda wish you wore leather and rode a bike to make it all the more dramatic.” Alec mused and Magnus laughed, not a care in the world.

He jumped up, wrapping his legs around Alec’s waist and Alec caught him immediately, without even thinking about it as if it were second nature. Magnus leant close, lips brushing against the shell of Alec’s ear before whispering, “Darling, I would wear leather and ride a bike for you any time...I would ride _you_ anytime.”

Alec made a sound between a choke and a groan as his face reddened, the blush spreading down to his chest.  “Can we-can I-maybe do-instead?”

Magnus raised his eyebrow, amusement sparkling in his eyes and lips curving into a smile. “English, darling, or how will I ever understand?” Alec opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to gather his thoughts. Magnus seemed to take pity on him as his smirk died down and his eyes became softer. “Tell me what you want, Alexander.”

Alec bit his lips and looked away before deciding that words could not be trusted so he should use actions instead. He gently put Magnus back down and placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back until the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed.

The sound of shoes hitting the ground echoed throughout the room as Magnus kicked them off before crawling so that he was in the centre of the bed, watching Alec with hooded eyes.

Alec followed suit and crawled up over him before settling right on Magnus’ crotch, feeling the semi-hardness there and biting back a groan. He rolled his hips down so that his ass was directly in contact with Magnus’ cock, only the few layers of clothing separating their bare skin.

“I want this,” he whispered softly, not wanting to break their little blissful bubble. “please Magnus, I want this.”

Magnus nodded and pulled Alec’s head forwards, connecting their lips in a soft but passionate kiss. Alec parted his lips willingly and sucked on Magnus’ tongue as it explored his mouth as if it was the first time. He whimpered against Magnus’ lips when he felt his belt buckle being undone, Magnus’ fingers brushing against his clothed erection giving him the slightest hint of friction that he do desperately craved.

In one swift move, Magnus rolled them over and settled himself between Alec’s legs, gently pulling down his jeans and boxers in one go allowing his cock to spring free. Alec decided he should probably discard his jumper - even though Magnus had made no move to do so - and threw it aimlessly, not even hearing as it hit the ground because Magnus licked a long stripe up the underside of his dick and all his senses died down until the only thing he could feel was Magnus’s mouth.

Alec couldn’t help it, he thrust up into the wet heat and would have done so again had Magnus not pressed his hips down into the mattress.

“Patience, darling,” murmured Magnus.

Alec bit his lip to hold back his moan when Magnus tongued at the slit of his throbbing cock while one of his hands came up to pinch Alec’s nipple. “Fuck patience,” Alec gasped and threw his head back into the pillow, clenching his eyes shut trying desperately to not be so loud.

It was an exceptionally difficult task when Magnus was doing _that._

Alec reached over to the bedside table with clumsy hands, rummaged around in the draw and procured a bottle of lube before shoving it against Magnus’ chest. “Get to work,” he demanded, too aroused to even care about sounding too forward.

Magnus took it in light though and accepted the bottle before coating three of his fingers. “So eager, my love.” Alec didn’t bother hiding it, in fact, he embraced it. He bought his knees up and spread his legs, leaving himself completely exposed and smiled when he heard Magnus’ sharp intake of breath.

He felt the wet kisses along his inner thigh before the finger at his entrance teased him, and if Alec had any ounce of ability to speak, he lost it immediately when Magnus’ finger breached his entrance. He didn’t even realise he was clenching so much until Magnus’ free hand came to brush through his hair.

“Breathe, darling. Deep breaths.”

Alec nodded and followed Magnus’ instructions. Once he’d relaxed a little, he looked up at Magnus and gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I...I guess I’m just-you were so fucking hot,” he breathlessly chuckled before continuing, “you just got me really turned on with how you-uh-how you were all like threatening and stuff and it was just really arousing...” Alec trailed off, unsure whether he was even making any sense at that point.

Magnus’ gentle fingers lightly touching his cheek made him meet his gaze again and Alec saw nothing but fondness. “We can try it out some other time, if you want,” Magnus began. “baby steps.”

Alec nodded and bit his lip, looking up at Magnus with hopeful eyes. He didn’t realise it was something he might want to try but after hearing Magnus with that voice and the way he was so assertive over Valentine, it sparked something new inside of Alec and he wanted to explore it.

It was almost funny that they were having a conversation with Magnus’ finger still inside Alec, but he let that wash over his head and nodded again, this time more confidently. “Yeah, baby steps.” Magnus smiled at him and Alec felt his stomach do a flop, and then he shivered and gasped as Magnus’ finger brushed against the bundle of nerves inside him. “Move, please.”

And _God_ did Magnus comply.

It didn’t take long for Magnus to have three fingers pumping in and out of Alec while he swirled his tongue over Alec’s cock, swiping up the pre come that had gathered there. His fingers would ever so gently tease against his prostate and it was driving Alec completely insane with want and desire...with _need._

“Mag-oh fuck...magnus...sto-plea-inside...now.” Alec panted and dug his fingers into Magnus’ hair, tugging gently to get him off his cock.

There was a smirk plastered on Magnus’ face, his red, slightly swollen lips glistening in the faint light coming from the lamp and he just looked so beautiful and perfect. Alec hadn’t even realised Magnus was still quite covered until he started shucking his clothes off hastily, clearly impatient to get inside Alec just as Alec was impatient to feel the burn of being stretched open.

Alec took a few moments to himself to just admire Magnus’ naked body before snapping out of it and pulling Magnus on top of him. “How do you want me?” He whispered, breath ghosting over Magnus’ lips.

“God, Alexander...fuck,” said Magnus. He began to kiss down Alec’s jaw line, moving to his neck, before abruptly turning them over and Alec scrambled to stay upright, settling himself with his legs on either side of Magnus’ thighs, effectively straddling him.

“Like this?” Alec asked, grinding down against Magnus’ throbbing erection.

Magnus couldn’t have nodded any quicker.

Alec reached beneath him and took Magnus in his hand, pumping a few times before smearing the pre come over the tip. Magnus was biting back moans and gasps but couldn’t hold back when Alec sank down, slow and steady, though to be fair, Alec wasn’t exactly quiet either.

Alec sighed once he’d sank down fully, throwing his head back at the familiar but no less satisfying burn of being stretched open. They hadn’t used this position in a while and Alec almost forgot how deep Magnus went when Alec rode him. His cock twitched in anticipation of what was to come.

“Ready?” Magnus whispered, hands steady on Alec’s hips.

A smile came upon Alec’s face and he nodded, placing his hands, palm flat, on Magnus’ chest to keep his balance. He pulled himself off halfway before slamming down, repeating the motion as he set a brutal pace.

Alec was just taking and taking and taking, gasping out profanities and curses mumbled with Magnus’ name.

Magnus’ grip on his hips was strong and Alec knew there’d be a bruise there tomorrow morning but that only turned him on even more. His hands travelled up Alec’s torso and then down his arms till they rested above Alec’s hands, and with one swift motion, Magnus flipped them over and began pounding into Alec relentlessly as his fingers interlaced with Alec’s, resting on either side of his head.

“Fuck...shit,” Alec swore as his back arched when Magnus hit right against his prostate. “there...God yes Magn-shit.”

Alec didn’t even realise he was coming until Magnus slowed down a little and released one of his hands to pump him through his orgasm. He still felt Magnus inside of him, hard and throbbing, the tip of his cock pressed right against Alec’s prostate.

Just when Magnus was about to pull out, Alec locked his ankles around his hips and lazily shook his head, still a little dazed from his orgasm.  

“Keep going,” he said.

“Alexander, I don’t want to hurt you.” Magnus whispered softly but didn’t continue pulling out to Alec’s delight.

“I’ll be okay...please, Magnus, please move.” Alec pleaded and let out a happy sigh when Magnus began thrusting again.

Alec let his legs drop back down, too tired to keep them up much longer, but he encouraged Magnus to go faster and harder, only whimpering a little at the overstimulation.

It didn’t take long for Magnus to come, filling Alec with his hot release and Alec came again simply by feeling so _full._

Magnus collapsed on top of him, panting heavily and Alec just ran his hands over Magnus’ hot and sweaty back.

“That felt...incredible,” Magnus said softly once he’d caught his breath and Alec hummed in agreement, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ temple.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that but Alec was slowly falling asleep, and if the even breaths coming from Magnus were anything to go by, so was he.

Alec was content to lay like that all night, it didn’t really matter if they didn’t clean up straight away this time, but then he just shifted a little and hissed when he realised Magnus was still buried deep inside of him.

Magnus jolted awake too, clearly woken by the overstimulation, and once he’d realised what had happened, he looked down at Alec with guilty eyes.

“Sorry,” he murmured and Alec shook his head.

“It’s okay,” Alec said and then bit his lower lip, looking down between them at where they were connected. “I can’t move.” He whispered and Magnus laughed fondly.

“Me neither...but we can’t sleep with me still inside of you,” he said with only a little hint of sadness.

Alec hissed again when he pulled out and he watched as Magnus bit his lip, holding back whatever sound he was going to make too.

He couldn’t help the little moan that left his lips when he felt Magnus’ come trickle down his thigh, finally able to ooze out of him now that Magnus’ cock wasn’t blocking the way.

From the corner of his eye, Alec could see Magnus watching him, or more importantly, looking between his legs and Alec closed them together a little self consciously.

That seemed to snap Magnus out of it as he shook his head and got to his feet, heading straight for the bathroom. When he came back, Alec’s come on his hand and chest was gone and he had a small towel in his hand. He wiped Alec’s stomach with it before gently parting Alec’s legs again, cleaning up the come there too.

He chucked the towel in the hamper and moved back over to the bed before eyeing Alec with a little smirk.

“You’ve made a mess, darling, look at you...” Magnus trailed off as he eyed Alec’s naked body up and down.

Alec blushed under his intense gaze which was odd considering what they’d just done. Eventually, he pulled himself up a little, resting his weight on his elbows, and looked down at himself.

There was a massive, wet and dark patch on the sheets right by Alec’s ass and he blushed again, looking away.

“I guess we’ll just have to sleep extra close together to avoid that then,” Magnus said and Alec could hear the smile in his voice. He felt the bed dip next to him and instantly curled around Magnus like a koala, resting his head right on Magnus’ heart like he had done the night before.

It felt crazy to think that just twenty-four hours ago, they had no plan and no leads and now they had one-upped Valentine, all because of the one brilliant, amazing and brave man next to Alec.

Though he had his doubts about the plan at the beginning - mostly because he didn’t want to put Magnus in danger - he realised that it was the right thing to do. He realised that Magnus had so much fire in him that he could make someone as powerful as Valentine Morgenstern feel like an ant, and Alec had never loved Magnus more than then knowing that after everything he’d been through, he still had the courage and strength to fight.

And Alec was more than happy to fight with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but I'll try and make it soon! It'll probably include a New Year's Eve party since they just had Christmas a few chapters ago.   
> See you soon! <3


	30. A Taste of Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT MALEC PROMO!! I watched it over and over. It's making me anxious with the whole sacrificing business...why can't they just let them be happy? I just can't freaking wait! March 20th better come quick! :( :(
> 
> It's been a while and I'm so sorry for the long wait. I'll try and pick up a weekly schedule for posting on this fic but I can't promise anything since I've started school again :/ God I hate it.
> 
> This is mainly just a filler chapter so sorry about that. The next few will most probably be pure fluff before I pick up the story line again. I'd say we're about half way through, or maybe three quarters, but don't take my word for it because I tend to ramble a lot so who knows? This may go on to like 100 chapters...
> 
> Enjoy!   
> <3

**Magnus PV**

The morning sun shone through the opening in the curtains illuminating Magnus’ face making him stir. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his beautiful Alexander sleeping peacefully in his arms. He had never felt so content and happy before.

With that thought in mind, Magnus shuffled until his was leaning above Alec and began placing soft kisses all over his face, trailing down to his neck and shoulders.

Alec wiggled a little under him and made an adorable snuffle sound before his eyelashes fluttered, kissing his cheekbones softly as his eyes opened.

“Good morning my love,” Magnus whispered and kissed the corner of Alec’s lips.

Alec grinned and wrapped his arms around Magnus’ neck as he pulled him down to kiss him properly, letting his hands roam over Magnus’ naked back.

“Morning,” said Alec, his voice raspy from lack of use making Magnus shiver a little.

Magnus continued his ministrations, kissing Alec all over and whispering words of love as he did so.

“What’s got you all cheery? Not that I’m complaining, I love your smile and those little cute dimples,” Alec asked as he gently ran his finger down Magnus’ jaw, over his dimple and then onto his parted lips.

Magnus kissed the pad of his finger and smiled. “I’m just really happy. And I love you.”

Alec positively beamed and it made Magnus’ insides flutter. He’d have thought he would be used to it by now but nothing would take his breath away more than Alec’s beautiful smile.

“I love you too baby, so much,” he said and pulled Magnus flush against him to kiss him.

Magnus tangled his fingers into Alec’s dark locks while Alec’s arms wrapped around Magnus’ waist. His kisses began their descent until they reached Alec’s collarbone and Magnus was determined to suck an impressive hickey onto the pale skin.

“Wha-mmh...what do you wanna do today?” Alec asked breathlessly. “We...we can go...or-or instead?” he added and Magnus chuckled against his skin at Alec’s eloquence.

“Either darling,” he answered as he felt Alec’s erection rub against his thigh, his own filling out and aching for attention. “But for now, let’s stay right here.”

Alec nodded eagerly, grinding against Magnus’ thigh which was turning Magnus on more than he’d like to admit. “Yeah,” he breathed out. “Yeah I can get on-on board with that.”

Magnus grinned and lifted his head, admiring the red bruise that was already forming on Alec’s skin. He gently blew on it, the sensation making Alec squirm beneath him as he fisted the sheets, desperately looking for something to hold on to. 

“You’re a work of art darling...absolutely magnificent.” Magnus praised as he moved to reach a hand between the both of them. “Tell me what you want my love...my hand, my mouth, or do you want to come on my cock?”

Alec gasped as Magnus’ fingers curled around his erection, not moving, simply holding.

“Which will it be, Alexander?” Magnus teased, running his thumb along the slit.

“Mag...Magnus...please,” Alec whimpered and Magnus leaned down to mouth at his nipple, licking the nub to hardness.

“Please what?”

“An...anythi-”

“Hey guys the tracker says he’s heading out state towar – sweet Jesus!” Jace yelped as he barged into the room and quickly moved to cover his eyes.

“Not quite, but we did call on his father a few times last night,” Magnus said with a grin making no move to get off Alec. Luckily, the sheets were still covering them from the waist down but it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what they were doing.

Alec’s eyes were still clenched tightly and Magnus wasn’t even sure if he knew Jace was in the room until he blindly reached for a pillow, snapped his eyes open and threw it with impressive force and aim to hit Jace in the back of the head.

“Get out!” Alec said through gritted teeth and Jace mumbled something about burnt eyes and scars before rushing out of the room. Alec sighed heavily and let his arm drop down onto the bed. “I’m gonna kill the fucker.”

“I think that’s this talking,” Magnus said with a pointed tug at Alec’s softening cock making him gasp, “rather than this.” He finished, using his other hand to tap at Alec’s forehead.

Alec looked down to where Magnus’ hand was on him with a dejected look on his face and pouted adorably. “Yeah...well what’s left of it anyway.”

Magnus laughed and kissed Alec’s nose. “Fear not my muffin, we can continue this later. Let’s get ready shall we?”

Alec nodded and Magnus got off of him but before he could stand up, Alec pulled him back and kissed him hard, only parting once they were both in need of air. “Sorry, I just needed that.”

“It’s quite alright darling,” Magnus grinned, kissed him chastely and then walked to the bathroom with an extra sway to his hips.

He faintly heard Alec mumble ‘that fucker is so dead’ and laughed at his cute, grumpy boyfriend before turning the shower on.  

***

 

Magnus was ready first and so he went downstairs in search of tea, leaving Alec to get dressed in his room. Jace was in the kitchen pouring himself some coffee and he turned to Magnus with guilty eyes once he saw him.

“Bro I’m sorry,” he apologised and Magnus waved it off.

“It’s not me you have to worry about...your brother on the other hand?” Magnus shook his head and tutted as he made his tea making Jace gulp in fear. It was funny to think that he was scared of Alec’s wrath but Magnus didn’t blame him either knowing that Alec could come off as intimidating at times.

Just then, Alec walked in with a glare that could kill and Jace attempted an apologetic smile.

“Catch,” Alec said and threw something at Jace who caught it out of reflex before screaming and dropping it on the floor. The rubber duck landed perfectly with its eyes facing Jace and he backed up to the counter looking at Alec with wide eyes. “That,” Alec pointed to the duck, “was for this,” he finished pointing to his crotch and Magnus stifled his laughter behind his mug of tea.

Jace nodded and with a shaky leg, kicked the duck aside. “I deserved that.”

“Yes you did,” Alec agreed and stood behind Magnus, placing his hands on his waist. Magnus instantly raised his mug to Alec’s lips letting him take a sip and he smiled at the domesticity of it. It sparked an image of the future in his mind of him and Alec possibly living together in their own house one day, maybe even with kids and Magnus’ smile widened at the thought.

Jace watched their little exchange with a fond smile and when Magnus caught his eye, he saw the ‘thank you for making him happy’ in it. He gave a subtle nod back, all the while Alec being his oblivious self as he stole more of Magnus’ tea, and then Jace nodded his head towards the living room indicating for them to follow.

Magnus took Alec’s hand to lead him into the living room and saw that everyone was chatting in the lounge with the inclusion of Clary, Simon and Maia.

“Good morning,” Magnus greeted with a smile and sat down next to Alec on the vacated seats on the couch.

Izzy scoffed with a smirk on her face. “Good _afternoon_ ,” she corrected and Magnus’ eyes widened when he looked at the wall clock realising that it was in fact one-thirty in the afternoon.

How did they sleep in so late?

Robert and Maryse smiled at him with a wink and Magnus blushed.

He then realised that he could get used to this. This happy feeling that seemed to be radiating off everyone. Sure, the threat of Valentine was still looming over them but for once, they had a plan _and_ the upper hand which meant everyone could take a break from being so worried all the time. It felt like a massive weight was lifted off not just Magnus’ shoulders but off of everyone’s and he felt immeasurable joy at the sight of his family with real, genuine smiles on their faces.

A little nudge to his side bought Magnus out of his thoughts and he looked over at Alec to see him smiling sheepishly as he handed Magnus his almost empty mug of tea back. “Oops,” he whispered and Magnus’ heart did a flutter in his chest.

“If you weren’t so adorable, I’d be mad,” Magnus whispered back and Alec gave a toothy grin.

Magnus didn’t realise the two of them were just staring at each other until Izzy pointedly cleared her throat, snapping them out of it.

“So,” she began with a knowing look at the pair, “Dad and Jace looked at the tracker earlier and the baldy is heading out state towards Massachusetts so my guess is Cambridge since that’s where you studied right Magnus?”

Magnus nodded and pondered why he would head out there. “Maybe it’s to see if he could find someone to open the laptop. Where did he go last night after the deal was made?”

“To some bed and breakfast in New Rochelle.” Robert answered. “Will and I went there this morning after they left. The lady at the desk said that there were two men who spent the night so my guess is Valentine and Sebastian. They used fake aliases of course.”

Magnus flinched at the mention of Sebastian and Alec reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers together giving a reassuring smile. Magnus smiled back before turning to face Robert again. “How did you know the woman wasn’t working for him?”

“I did a check before, plus she was in her mid 80’s and she owns the building with her almost 90 year old husband.”

“Okay,” Magnus nodded, “okay so now what?”

“Well for the next few weeks we keep a close eye on him, and I’ve only told Will and Dylan about the whole plan and while we work on collecting evidence, you can work on your deciphering chip. As for right now, why don’t we all go out for a late lunch?” he smiled and Magnus felt Alec perk up beside him.

“Yes please,” he said eagerly causing a few chuckles. “Let’s go Taki’s. God I miss Taki’s.” Alec jumped up from his seat causing Magnus to almost drop his mug.

“Calm down darling,” Magnus chuckled with fondness at the sight of a giddy Alec.

Alec’s eyes suddenly widened and he looked around the room before settling his gaze on Magnus. “We can go on a date,” he mumbled before adding in a louder voice, “Magnus we can go on a date!”

“I know Alexander,” Magnus smiled. His exterior was calm and collected but inside, Magnus was having a freaking disco at the new information.

They could actually go out on a date for the first time in over a month. And this time, it would be just the two of them with no lies between them.

“And you all,” Alec said looking at everyone else. “No one is disturbing us today. I’m taking Magnus out somewhere super fancy to charm the pants off him and I don’t want even a text from you guys!” He said with exasperation before his features softened. “Unless it’s an emergency, but if it’s Izzy burning something then I don’t wanna hear about it.” Izzy scoffed at that but Alec was in his own little world. “I’m taking Magnus on a date!” he pumped his fists in the air and darted up the stairs, only reaching halfway before abruptly turning back around.

“Get ready! We’re going Taki’s and then I need to plan this date for Magnus!” he clapped his hands to get everyone moving as they were all laughing at his sudden burst of happy energy.

It was refreshing to see him like that and Magnus loved the sight of a worry free Alexander. It reminded him of back when they met and how Alec would complain like a little adorable child about his lecturers or stolen pumpkins or how he’d get so excited when they baked things together or he played guitar. Though Magnus knew that it wasn’t an honest relationship back then, he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss that side of Alec.

Over the past week he’s been more tense and conserved, probably because Magnus needed him and his comfort, his reassurance. Magnus knew he’d still need that every now and then, just like Alec needed him, but this little glimpse of the happy and carefree Alec bought back those memories and Magnus vowed that he’d finish this whole nonsense with Valentine so that smile from Alec’s face would never leave.

***

They arrived at Taki’s and to Magnus’ delight, they didn’t see anyone tracing their path which meant that Valentine was keeping up his end of the deal. Magnus followed Robert and Maryse as they walked to an empty table that the waiters pushed together so it would seat them all.

Magnus hadn’t bothered with glamming up too much, only opting for some kohl, lip gloss and a little bit of concealer. Even his outfit was toned down with black skinny jeans and a red hoodie that belonged to Alec. He wanted to surprise Alec for their date in the evening and he’d called Catarina to bring him some of his things later to do so. Magnus thought that if Alec saw him in more casual attire for this family outing then he’d be more surprised for their date. He knew how much Alec loved his glittery and sparkly fashion sense and he hadn’t worn anything like that since before he left.

Izzy and Max sat down next to him before Alec even got the chance and Magnus thought his little pout was absolutely adorable. He winked at him and blew a kiss causing a light dusting of red to appear on Alec’s gorgeous cheekbones.

Alec sat down opposite Magnus with Simon and Jace on either side of him and he couldn’t stop grinning so Magnus couldn’t help his smile either. They must have looked like fools to everyone else.

“So,” Izzy said, “we should totally go shopping now that you’re not being locked up like Rapunzel anymore.”

Magnus chuckled a little and nodded. “Of course cupcake, maybe we can plan a New Year’s Eve party?”

Izzy’s whole face lit up with excitement. “Oh my gosh yes! It’ll have to be small though since it’s like in a day. We should invite Cat and everyone too!”

“Yes my dear,” Magnus smiled and winked at Alec again when he noticed him looking with fondness at both Izzy and himself.

Magnus ordered blueberry pancakes for himself while Alec went for a bacon and egg toasted baguette.

Topics for conversation came easily as they chatted and laughed, all the while Magnus had that warm feeling inside of him at the fact that this was his family.

Every so often, Magnus would reach over the table absentmindedly to feed Alec a bit of pancake while Alec would do the same with a forkful of bacon and egg or some chips. Magnus didn’t even realise they were doing it until he noticed the looks he was getting from everyone. According to Isabelle, even the waitress was smiling at their little display.

As they walked out after finishing their meal, Izzy pulled Magnus aside. “Let’s go get some food and decoration for the party. Maybe we can find a new outfit for you too so you can wear it on your date.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Magnus laughed at her enthusiasm before agreeing.

In the end, Max, Clary, Simon, Maia and Maryse decided they’d help leaving Jace, Alec and Robert to head home.

Before they parted ways, Alec walked up to Magnus and wrapped his arms around him, hiding his face in the crook of Magnus’ neck.

“Be careful baby,” he whispered and Magnus smiled as he pressed a kiss on Alec’s neck.

“Of course darling.”

“It’s just...this is...” Alec trailed off and Magnus pulled back to look into his eyes, cupping his cheek with one hand while the other rested on his neck.

“It’s what my love?”

“It’s the first time we’ll be away from each other since...since you’ve been back.” Magnus saw how Alec’s eyes glazed over slightly and he smiled what he hoped was a reassuring one. “I know it’s stupid but I just – I don’t like being away from you...I just want you to be safe.”

“It’s not stupid sweetheart. I don’t like being away from you either but it’ll be okay. I’ll be careful. I’ve got Isabelle, your mother and the others with me. It’ll be alright darling.”

“Okay...okay yeah.” Alec sighed and closed his eyes, leaning into Magnus’ palm. “I love you.”

“Oi! You guys done over there? I don’t want to throw up all that food I just ate,” Jace yelled but shut up when Robert playfully hit him up the back of his head.

Magnus chuckled at them and then raised himself on his tip toes a little to kiss Alec softly. He pulled back after two more little pecks on Alec’s lips and one on his nose. “I love you too. Now go before we traumatize the children.”

Alec laughed and kissed Magnus again before finally letting go and walking to Robert’s car. He turned back and waved a little sheepishly which Magnus found to be absolutely adorable. Magnus blew a kiss back and then walked over to the others with what he knew was a lovesick grin on his face.

“You guys are so in love that it’s gross,” Isabelle gagged and Max nodded in agreement.

“Well I think it’s very sweet,” Maryse said with a dazzling smile as she pulled Magnus to her side. “They both deserve to be happy.”

“Damn right they do!” Clary exclaimed with a lot of determination in her voice and Magnus looked at her in surprise from her outburst. “What?”

“That was a lot of enthusiasm, that’s all biscuit,” Magnus explained and she shrugged with a shy smile.

“It’s true though, I’m glad you guys are happy.”

Magnus was momentarily stunned into silence by the very distinguishable honestly in her voice. It didn’t last long though as Izzy and Max began to push them into the car.

“Enough of the sappy stuff guys, we’ve got a party to plan and a Magnus to glam!” Izzy announced cheerfully before her eyes widened and she turned to Magnus with an apologetic look. “Not that you need glam, you have enough of that as it is, I just meant that – that you want to – for Alec and...glam.”

Magnus threw his head back as he shook with laughter. “I know what you meant Izzy, but thank you anyway.” He winked at her causing her to blush slightly. “I’ve never known anyone else in the family to stammer and blush before; I always thought it was an Alexander thing.” He mused and Izzy looked appalled but Maryse spoke before she could even open her mouth.

“That’s not a Lightwood trait. Alec invented that one all by himself. You picked a special one.”

Magnus smiled at the thought of Alec and felt his heart ache a little in longing, which was absurd since he only saw him less than five minutes ago but it only confirmed how much he loved his adorable little goofball.

“I sure did.”

**Alec PV**

Once Alec got in the car, he couldn’t stop his leg from shaking and his hand from trembling. He knew he was overreacting but he couldn’t help it. Being away from Magnus after everything that happened made him feel almost as anxious as when Magnus left and they couldn’t find him.

He felt a warm hand on his restless knee and looked over to see Jace eyeing him warily.

“Sorry,” Alec mumbled and Jace shook his head.

“It’s cool man. Just try to chill though, Magnus is gonna be fine.”

“I know, I don’t know why I’m panicking so much, it’s not like he’s alone and plus Valentine’s in another fucking state so he’s safe. I’m just overthinking it.” Alec said with a nervous chuckle

“Its cool dude, you love him and you worry about him. It’s normal in any relationship so after everything you’ve been through, it would be weird if you weren’t freaking out.” Alec nodded, knowing Jace was right and tried to calm his nerves. “Just think about seeing him later and start planning your date. Where are you gonna take him?”

“To a...I um-”Alec stuttered but cut himself off as he thought about it. This was the first time in over a month that they could do something, just the two of them and he wanted to make it special for Magnus. But what could he do? “I don’t know yet.” He whispered and then started panicking again. “Fuck! I don’t know! What am I supposed to do? Where do I take him? I can’t make this date shitty! Jace!”

“Alec, chill man. Jesus, you’re worse than Iz when she can’t find a matching shoe.” Alec glared at him, not seeing the humour in the situation and Jace held up his hands in surrender.

Robert chuckled from the front seat and shook his head making Alec turn his glare towards him. “It’s not funny Dad,” he argued.

“I know son, it’s just cute that you’re getting all flustered. It’s not like you have to woo him, the boy’s already head over heels for you.”

“But still!” Alec protested, ignoring the little flutter at his father’s statement. “I wanna do something nice for him,” he added in a softer tone.

“Why don’t you take him somewhere for dinner and then go stay at the house by your University? It’ll be just the two of you there and you can come back tomorrow evening for the party.” Robert suggested and Alec pondered on it for a moment before an idea popped into his head.

He squealed - something he would deny if anyone ever repeated it - and clapped his hands together. Alec pulled out his phone and dialled Aline’s number as he caught his father’s eye in the rear view mirror. “We need to make a stop before we go home.” Robert grinned and nodded.

“Where to?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it and once again, sorry for the wait and lack of actual storyline in this chapter. Next one will be their date and maybe the NYE party unless the date gets too long in which case I'll split the chapter in two. 
> 
> See you next time! :D


	31. A Taste of Forever - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part One of Magnus and Alec's date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guyss,
> 
> So I would have waited until I had the full date and maybe even the NYE party but I was writing today and stopped at this point and I really want to try and get into some sort of schedule for this, even with school starting up, so enjoy this chapter which is basically fluff galore with a little bit of emotional talks :D

**Magnus PV**

By the time it was 4pm, Magnus was carrying six bags full of clothing and beauty products. He thought his were bad enough but he looked over to see Isabelle had almost eleven, and the girl was still looking through different shop windows debating on whether to go in or not. 

In the end, Max and Maryse had to drag her away from it all and though Magnus loved shopping, he couldn’t be more pleased with the fact that they could go home now.

He was buzzing with excited energy to see Alec again, even though it had only been five hours since he last saw him. Magnus didn’t realise he could miss one person so much in such a short amount of time.

They had managed to get plenty of food for the party that would be the next day along with some simple decorations and Magnus was feeling giddy about it. He’d always loved parties; especially planning them, so setting this up was something he was looking forward to.

The ping of an incoming text got Magnus out of his daze and he pulled his phone out, expecting to see a message from Alec but instead found nothing. He frowned until he saw Izzy on her phone too and realised it was her message rather than his.

He turned back to look out the window at the passing trees and buildings when Izzy called his name.

“Yes cupcake?”

“Alec says you’re not allowed in his room when we get back so you can get dressed in mine. I can do your makeup if you want?”

Magnus’ brows creased in confusion as to why he wasn’t allowed in Alec’s room but then pushed it aside, knowing Alec would have some reason. He grinned and nodded at Izzy who beamed, happy to be able to do him up.

When they finally got to the house, Magnus practically ran out of the car eager to see his boyfriend. He didn’t even think to get his bags from the trunk, too caught up in anything and everything _Alexander,_ which was probably why he didn’t even notice that Alec’s car wasn’t in the driveway like it was before they had left.

“Hey kiddo,” Robert greeted from where he was sat on the couch, a mass of papers surrounding him and Will.

“Hey...” Magnus trailed off and Robert seemed to know what Magnus wanted to ask as he chuckled and shook his head fondly.

“Honestly the pair of you are inseparable. He’s planning your date, told me not to let you in his room just yet. He should be back by five.”

Magnus tried not to look too upset. It was pathetic, really, the way his heart constantly called for Alec even if they were apart for just a minute. Magnus couldn’t complain though, he’d never felt this sort of love for someone and if it was going to be gross and sappy then so be it.

By the time he’d managed to stop looking like a sad puppy, the others had bought the bags in and Robert’s eyes widened at the sight.

“How much did you buy?” he asked incredulously and Izzy shrugged her shoulders while Max rolled his eyes. Clary ran straight upstairs to Jace’s room while Maia and Simon watched with amused smiles.

“Not a lot,” Izzy answered, seemingly not as affected by the multitude of bags decorating the living room floor.

Will scoffed and Izzy shot him a glare which instantly wiped the smile off his face.

She was a force to be reckoned with and they all knew that. It probably explained why they let the subject drop with an easy smile.

“Come on Mags, let’s go get you dolled up.” She didn’t even give Magnus or Maia a second to gather themselves before she shoved a handful of bags in their direction and pushed them up the stairs.

Magnus heard Maryse and Robert’s fond chuckle as he reached the landing and smiled to himself, once again struck at how lucky he was to be a part of this family.

In less than three minutes, Isabelle had Magnus clad in a red silk robe and sat on the seat in front of the vanity as Maia was sprawled on the bed, watching with amusement as her girlfriend made a big fuss about different eyeshadow palettes.

“I think this coral orangey colour will go perfect, what do you think Maia?”

Maia hummed in agreement and Izzy began to apply it to Magnus’ eyelids. He watched as her tongue poked out in concentration and he was instantly reminded of Alec, causing another wave of longing to wash over him.

Why was he so clingy?

“Do you know what he’s planned?” Magnus asked tentatively as he watched Isabelle pick up an eyelash curler. “And please don’t poke my eye out dear.”

Izzy fondly rolled her eyes, a gesture so _Alec_ that Magnus’ heart ached again, and began to curl his lashes. It was fair to say he sat as still as a rock, in fear of becoming blind if he moved even in the slightest.

“No,” she huffed. “He didn’t even tell me, the asshole.”

“He told me,” Maia announced and Izzy turned her head to look at her with an outraged expression while Magnus calmly took the curler out of Isabelle’s hand, not trusting her to not accidentally jab him in the eye.

“He _what?”_ she hissed. “Why would he tell you and not tell me? When did he tell you? What did he tell you?”

“Okay first of all, relax babe,” said Maia with a small smile. “Second, it was when you had Magnus trying on the fifth shirt that looked exactly the same as the first. He called your phone to ask how Magnus was but I answered since you were busy analysing every detail over a _shirt_ , and then I asked and he told me.” She shrugged her shoulders and that seemed to only irritate Isabelle more.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I want to know what he’s planned. It’s their first date in months. They’re not locked in this goddamn house and I want to know what my brother has planned.”

Maia offered a dazzling smile and Izzy narrowed her eyes at her. “Alec told me not to tell you because, and I quote, “she’s a blabber mouth and then Magnus will find out and I want it to be a surprise”, and as much as I love you Iz, he’s got a point.”

Izzy’s demeanour softened a little at those words. “I can’t believe you two are ganging up on me,” she said but there was no heat behind her words.

She continued doing Magnus’ makeup and hair while they all sang along to random music that Maia was playing. Magnus tried not to be too jumpy and exuberant with whatever it was that Alec had planned but by the time he was dressed, he couldn’t even hide it if he tried.

“You look like you’re gonna burst from excitement,” Maia stated bluntly and Izzy nodded her head in agreement.

“I just might,” Magnus confessed as he eyed his outfit in the floor length mirror in Izzy’s room.

Just then, the door to Izzy’s bedroom opened and Alec stepped in with a sheepish grin that instantly turned into a dazzling smile as soon as his eyes set on Magnus.

Magnus’ whole face brightened up but he didn’t make a move to Alec who seemed frozen in his spot, his eyes set on looking Magnus up and down.

He could hear Izzy and Maia snickering somewhere in the background but all of his attention was aimed on Alec and Alec only.

Eventually, Alec walked over and placed a gentle hand on Magnus’ shoulder, Magnus’ own reaching up to do the same to Alec. He leaned in slowly, not because of nerves but just savouring the moment. Their lips brushed once, twice, before Magnus pulled back with a satisfied smile, thumb rubbing on Alec’s shoulder affectionately.

“You look beautiful baby,” Alec whispered softly, not even taking note of Izzy and Maia watching the two of them with happy smiles.

“As do you, my love,” Magnus whispered back, equally soft.

And he did. Alec wore fitted black jeans, not as tight as some that Magnus owned but tight enough that Magnus could appreciate the way it accentuated the firmness of his ass and his long, never ending legs. His torso was covered by a blue shirt, much lighter in shade than the one Magnus wore and much less sparkly but still well fitted. He had a knee length wool coat on with a tartan scarf and overall, Magnus thought he looked delectable.

A distinct clearing of a throat bought them out of their intense gaze lock and Magnus looked over to where Maia and Isabelle were eyeing them with knowing looks.

“Go on your date before the eye sex gets too intense and we’re scarred for life,” Izzy teased with a wink and Alec blushed but didn’t duck his head, instead choosing to walk over to them and place a soft kiss on both of the girls’ cheeks.

“Thank you,” he whispered and the teasing glint disappeared from Izzy’s face to be replaced with a soft smile.

“You’re welcome big brother, now I distinctly remember someone saying they wanted to ‘charm the pants’ off their boyfriend so get to it. Just don’t rip them, they’re new.”

The red on Alec’s cheeks only seemed to get darker and he made a funny sort of noise from the back of his throat before walking over to Magnus, taking his hand and pulling him out of the room. Magnus waved over his shoulder and blew a kiss towards the girls as they winked and waved back.

“So,” Magnus asked as they descended the stairs, “are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Alec shook his head and walked into the kitchen, still pulling Magnus behind him. Maryse was chopping onions but she stopped and washed her hands when she saw the two of them.

Her eyes were slightly gazed over and Magnus could tell it was from worry. Truth be told, deep down he was a little worried too, since this time when they went out, they’d be alone. But like he had said earlier, they couldn't live in fear like that so he was going to enjoy this night out no matter what.

“You two be careful okay?” She said as she cupped each of their cheeks.

“We will, Mom,” Magnus answered and the smile he got in return brought tears to his own eyes. He sniffled, pushing them back and telling himself not to be so emotional about everything to let them fall, but Maryse let one slip down her cheek.

Magnus instantly reached out and wiped it away with his thumb, offering a small smile at the woman who’s healed a part of his shattered heart by simply offering a mother’s love.

“We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon but if you need anything, call us,” said Alec and Magnus nodded before the words registered and he turned to his boyfriend with questioning eyes.

“Tomorrow?” he asked with a raised eyebrow and Alec nodded, his face impassive. “But what about the party? I was going to help decorate.” Magnus muttered and Maryse chuckled wetly.

“Oh baby,” she sighed. “Its okay sweetheart, you two deserve to have some time to yourselved and you know Isabelle is going to take charge of decorating anyway so it’s best if you don’t get caught up in her web. You saw her when we were celebrating Christmas.” Maryse rolled her eyes at her daughter’s antics before leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to Magnus’ cheek. “You just focus on enjoying yourself.”

Magnus couldn’t bring himself to insist that he should help so he just nodded instead.

After they said bye to Robert, Alec led Magnus to his car and opened the passenger door for him before moving to the driver’s side and taking his own seat.

“So are we not staying here tonight?” Magnus asked and Alec shook his head.

“Nope,” he answered and his face contorted into worry for a moment. “Is...is that-are you okay with that? I mean we can stay here if you’re more comfortable...I should have asked before-I’m sorry, I was just so excited and I didn’t think and if you don’t want to stay somewhere else we can-we can stay here or wh-”

“Alexander,” Magnus interrupted, reaching over the console to take Alec’s hand and kiss the back of it. “I’m happy to spend the night anywhere as long as you’re with me.”

Alec smiled a dopey smile then turned his attention back to the road. He didn’t let go of Magnus’ hand for the whole ride and while Alec was concentrating on the road, Magnus was trying to figure out where they were headed but to no avail.

Eventually, he pulled up somewhere in the Upper East Side and rushed around to open Magnus’ door before he could do it himself, offering his hand to help him out.

Magnus felt it then, the rush of excitement of going on a date. He didn’t know why he was acting so preteen about it, maybe because they’ve had a hell of a few months and even before then, their dates were never truly real.

Sure, Magnus felt every bit of it and his feelings weren’t fake, but the whole time, whether he liked to admit it or not, he was lying to Alec.

This time, there were no secrets between them, Alec saw Magnus for Magnus and still wanted him, despite all his flaws and mistakes, and when that thought popped into Magnus mind, he faltered in his step coming to a halt in the middle of the street.

Alec stopped too since he was holding Magnus’ hand and he turned around with concerned eyes, looking over Magnus’ face to see what had happened.

“Magnus, baby what is it?” he asked, coming closer to use his free hand to cup Magnus’ cheek, hazel boring into gold and green. When Magnus didn’t say anything, still too shocked by the thought that was plaguing his mind, Alec let go of his hand and bought it up to cup Magnus’ other cheek, holding his head up so he couldn’t avert his gaze to the ground. “Baby?”

“I-it’s just...you love me.” Magnus admitted lamely, not really sure how he could put his thoughts into words when they were this intense.

Alec frowned, patiently waiting for Magnus to continue and when it was evident that he wouldn’t, he smiled softly.

“Of course I do, how could I not? Your heart is pure gold, you’re filled with so much love and kindness that it’s honestly overwhelming at times to know how much you love me. You’re exceptionally smart and I love that. You have an amazing sense of humour, one that never fails to cheer me up. And you’re beautiful. So, so beautiful. I’ve never met someone whose heart and mind is just as beautiful as they are on the outside, you’re the only one Magnus, and I’ll always love every part of you, inside and out.”

“But I’ve made mistakes,” Magnus whispered with tears blurring his vision, trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach at Alec’s words. “I lied to you, I hurt you and-”

“Magnus, baby shh.” Alec soothed, moving one hand to the back of Magnus’ head and cradling it to his chest. “You didn’t know, it wasn’t your fault. And you did the right thing in the end so that’s all that matters.”

“But you still love me,” he mumbled into Alec’s chest. “It just-I just realised that you know me, the real me...and there’s no secrets that I’m keeping from you. I’m-I’m an open book and I thought that’d be terrifying because no one would want me if they knew the real me but you’re still here...you still love me.”

“Oh baby,” Alec sighed, pulling Magnus’ head back to wipe at his tears. Magnus saw that Alec’s eyes were glazed too, tears on the verge of falling free. “I will _always_ be here and I will _always_ love you, _all_ of you. Forever and ever and ever and ev-”

“Okay,” Magnus laughed wetly and hit Alec’s chest making him grin, happy to see Magnus smiling again. “I believe you.”

Alec sobered up instantly and came closer again. “Good, because I will remind you that I love you every single day if you ever doubt that you’re not good enough. And I will remind you that I love all of you, no matter what you’ve done and what you’re going to do, because at the end of the day, the goodness in your heart will always outweigh anything else for me. You’ll always be the love of my life Magnus Bane, and nothing could ever change that.”

Magnus literally thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest, which was absurd because for a while now, it hadn’t really been in his own chest, but instead in Alec’s hands. His heart always belonged to Alec, and knowing that he loved him just as much as Magnus loved him back made Magnus want to marry him right then and there, to vow to spend the rest of his life with the amazing man in front of him because he couldn’t imagine another way worth living.

He didn’t know what words would do the thoughts in his head justice, so he chose actions instead. Magnus threw himself into Alec’s arms and kissed him with all he had, and when he couldn’t breathe, he pulled back only to pepper kisses all over Alec’s face making bursts of giggles erupt from the other man.

“Mags you’re getting lip gloss all over me, my face feels all sticky,” Alec complained though he didn’t sound all that annoyed.

Magnus gasped and pulled back, eyeing the shades of light pink gloss smeared on Alec’s face along with specs of glitter randomly dotting his features. 

“Sorry,” Magnus apologised and used his hands to try and remove it, though that only made it worse. “I’m really not helping this situation.”

“Its okay baby,” Alec giggled and took a hold of Magnus’ hands in his own, kissing his knuckles softly. “I’ll wash my face when we get to the restaurant.”

“Ah ha!” Magnus cheered, “so we’re going to a restaurant.”

Alec rolled his eyes but the smile on his face proved that he was far from annoyed or fed up. “Yes, we’re going to a restaurant, now come on before we miss our reservation.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make us late,” Magnus bit his lip guiltily and Alec shook his head, tugging on Magnus’ hands a little to fall into step beside him.

“Stop apologising, and I was just kidding. We won’t be late,” Alec assured and Magnus nodded, eyeing his face warily before stopping Alec from walking any further.

“You’re gonna walk the streets of New York with pinky, glittery, shiny gloss all over your face?” Magnus asked dubiously and Alec grinned, standing up a little straighter.

“Yes, because it shows that I was kissed, multiple times and in multiple places, by the man that I am hopelessly in love with. And it shows that he loves me too, and that he’s super snazzy and confident because he wears amazing clothes and makeup and doesn’t give two shits what ignorant fuckers will say abo-”

“Alright darling, I get it,” Magnus interrupted him with a giggle. “When did you get so sappy?”

“It was always in me, I just had to find the right person to be sappy for.” Alec answered with a shrug as he continued leading Magnus to the restaurant.

“I’m glad you’re sappy for me then,” Magnus admitted with a soft smile before adding, “I’m sappy for you too.”

Alec beamed at him before they walked the remaining distance in a comfortable silence.

When they reached their destination, there was a girl that Magnus recognised to be Aline waiting for them at the door. She kindly smiled at them before her gaze stopped on Alec and she burst out laughing.

Alec, to his credit, did not blush or cower away. If anything, he held his head high, not ashamed that he had just been kissed thoroughly. Magnus couldn’t stop smiling at the sight.

“Looking good Lightwood,” she greeted and Alec rolled his eyes but there was a fondness behind them. She then turned to Magnus and smiled warmly at him. “It’s good to see you again Magnus.”

“You too Aline,” Magnus smiled back.

“Right, I’ll take you to your table and tell Mom and Dad you’re here. We’ll get started on your meals right away.” She declared as she led them through the main part of the restaurant and into the back where there was a gazebo with a glass roof, letting the setting sun and rising moon filter into the room that was otherwise illuminated by various strings of fairy lights and candle sticks, a warm fire going in the corner.

Magnus gasped at the beautiful scene in front of him and turned to Alec with wide eyes.

“Surprise,” Alec whispered as he led Magnus to the table for two that was a metre or so away from the fire. He pulled out Magnus’ seat and tucked him in before sitting in his own.

Aline grinned at the two of them, so hopelessly in love with each other, before slipping out of the room without a word, letting the two of them enjoy their well deserved evening.

“I didn’t know she worked here,” Magnus confessed, fitting his hand into Alec’s when Alec reached over and looking around the room as soft music began to play from somewhere.

“Her parents own the place, it’s been in their family for years,” Alec explained and Magnus hummed, still admiring everything.

“This is amazing Alexander, thank you.”

“I wanted it to be special,” Alec admitted softly and Magnus gave his hand a little squeeze.

“Anything you do will be special my love, but thank you for doing all of this.”

Alec smiled and lifted up their clasped hands to his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

**Alec PV**

As they ate, Alec found himself constantly struck with how _beautiful_ Magnus really was, and his outfit only added to that beauty.

Alec couldn’t help but be drawn to his eyes, the gold more prominent in the candle light while the green more visible when the moon cast shadows over his face. He was mesmerised by Magnus and Alec wouldn’t have it any other way.

He didn’t drink much, mostly because he was driving but also because he didn’t feel like it was necessary, and Magnus followed his example even when Alec said it was okay if he wanted alcohol. 

By the time they had finished dinner, Alec’s smile was so big that his face started to hurt. He didn’t even know _why_ he was smiling so much, it’s not like Magnus had said a funny story or anything, he was just talking about an encounter between Ragnor and Raphael that happened during his years in MIT.

That said, Alec did laugh a lot. Though it was a difficult time for Magnus, he had many wonderful stories of his days in university and Alec had obviously never heard them before, something they were quick and eager to correct that night.

Alec learnt about Magnus’ many drunken escapades that only made him love the adorable goof even more. He learnt about his routine for exam prepping, how he’d spend an entire week before said exam locked in his room, and then the day prior he’d only binge watch TV and not even lift a pen to study. He’d go to bed at 9p.m and the following morning, he’d eat a healthy breakfast and then his miracle food, a packet of Haribos Tangfastics, no matter what time of the day. Apparently, it had become some form of a good luck food that ever since the first time he had them before an exam, he’d always come out with almost if not perfect marks. To say Alec was proud of him was a severe understatement.

Alec had already handled payment for their meal when he’d spoken to Aline earlier that day, much to Magnus’ dismay who insisted on paying.

When Alec told him he could get the next one, he felt a small flutter in his stomach. It was ridiculous, how much he loved him and was excited by the simple prospect of going on a date.

They walked out hand in hand; waving bye to Aline and her parents as they did so and Alec decided to take a little detour to get to the car. It was cold, absolutely freezing cold. This was New York after all. But there was something romantic about walking in this weather, huddling close with the one you love to conserve heat and Alec was pleased with his choice, especially when light specs of snow started to fall from the dark, starry sky.

“Can I ask you something?” Alec asked tentatively, not wanting to break the calm atmosphere by asking something that was too heavy.

“Of course Alexander,” Magnus smiled, his nose red from the cold making Alec just want to bundle him up in his arms and never let go.

How could one man be so infuriatingly cute?

“After this is all done, this whole thing with Valentine, what do you want to do?”

“What do you mean?” Magnus asked, his voice emotionless making it hard for Alec to tell if he should or shouldn’t have asked the question in the first place.

“I know you said you wanted to work with the NYPD, which I totally support. I’d support whatever choice you made, but I just mean in general. Like what do you want to do?”

Magnus thought about it for a moment, and Alec gave him the time he needed to process the question and his answer. When he did finally respond, there was a small smile on his face, one that Alec had never seen before.

“I think I’d like to go on a vacation.”

“A vacation?” Alec asked, not judgemental, simply curious.

“Yes,” he nodded and then sighed. “I just realised that ever since my parents died and Halley went mis...and Halley died, I haven’t really done something _fun._ And even though I did travel with Ragnor, Catarina and Raphael, I wasn’t the same person I was before everything so I couldn’t really enjoy it, too busy trying to find out what happened to Dad to even take in what I was seeing around me. I’ll never be that person from before they died, but the person that I am with you, with Izzy, Jace, Max, your parents...I like that person. I’m happy, and not just because I’m finally not alone, because I have had the others for the past seven years, but I’m happy because I’m at peace. And I think a nice way to celebrate that would be to go on a vacation.”

Alec pulled Magnus even closer to himself if that was possible, his heart fluttering at hearing those words. He knew that he and his family had changed Magnus’ life, but to hear Magnus say that he was happy and at peace, something he hasn’t had for over seven years, Alec couldn’t even begin to explain how much joy that bought him.

He only ever wanted Magnus to be happy, because he deserves as much, so to know that _he’s_ the source of that happiness literally turned Alec’s brain into mush.

“You’ll get your vacation,” he settled on eventually and Magnus tilted his head up to press a kiss against the underside of Alec’s jaw.

“You’re coming with me,” Magnus promised and Alec wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try and get the second part up soon :D
> 
> Also, if Haribos aren't a thing in your country, they're just sweets and Tangfastics are just the sour version. I actually do eat some before an exam and it's become my good luck charm so that's where Magnus' routine came from :)


	32. Author's Note

Heyyy!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this story and as much as I keep telling myself that I can get back on a regular schedule for it, I know I can’t so I just wanted to explain what’s going on with this whole thing.

The main point is that I’m definitely not stopping this until it’s finished. It’s my first multi-chaptered fic and I honestly really enjoy writing it so I won’t leave it unfinished, that’s for sure. But, my exams are coming up in June and I haven’t had as much time to write as I did when I started this story.

Because there’s so many plotlines in this, when I write a chapter, it takes me literal hours because I have to go and read back on a lot of the previous stuff so I make sure I’m on the right timeline and don’t reveal anything too soon. I’ve had the plan set out for the whole story since the beginning, and where it is right now with all the fluffy stuff just after Magnus confronted Valentine is the bit right before the actual plot picks up again.

I know that if I start writing it all now, my updates won’t be regular at all and that’s assuming I can actually sit and write it according to the plan I have. I don’t want to dive into the heavy plot chapters and only update once a month or even longer than that because in my opinion, it’s hard to follow the story that way and so I figured it’d be best to put this story on hold until after June so that I can write it properly and update regularly without stressing myself out about the content of the chapters or the wait between them.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to decide that so I’m sorry for making the wait almost two months since the last chapter but I wanted to tell you now that I’ve decided rather than just keep you all waiting without knowing when I’ll start posting again.

I am halfway through the next chapter so if I do find time to finish that, I will definitely post it since it’s all just fluff at the moment but more than likely, there won’t be an update to this fic until late June time since my last exam is on June 19th (it’s Maths and I hate myself for picking it for A-Level).

If you do read my series ‘I Found You’, I will continue that while I’m still studying since I really like writing it and I’d probably go crazy if I was revising 24/7. The stories for that are more like one-shots so they’re easier to write and take less time since I don’t necessarily follow a whole plotline and plan like I do for this fic. The next update for that will most probably be the Chapstick Challenge unless my brain decides something else but I’ll try to get that out as soon as I can.

Once again, I’m really sorry for the wait but for those of you who are still interested in reading the rest of the story, I promise I’m not giving up on it and I hope you can wait out the next two months until I start updating again.

Thank you!

Mehna :D


	33. A Taste of Forever - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of Magnus and Alec's date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've got some explaining to do...
> 
> I know I said I'd start writing this story again once my exams finished in June, and I did, at least a little. But I found it really hard to start writing this again, and even though I had this chapter mostly finished, I wasn't really happy with it. With the news of Shadowhunters being cancelled, I just lost a lot of my motivation to write anything, even one-shots. And then to top it off, I got kinda unwell for a couple of months over Summer and it just really killed my mood to do anything, so I'm really sorry for abandoning this story, even though I said I wouldn't.
> 
> Anyway, I read a lot of fanfic while I wasn't well, like, a lot, and the fact that so many people are still writing kinda picked my mood up a bit, and so I re-read this whole work (it was super awkward, I hate reading back on my work and it's crazy to think this started a whole year ago), and I think I found a muse, ish. So I planned out what I want to happen, and with my estimation, I think there's going to be a total of 45 chapters. I haven't finished any of them yet, only this one and the next one is half done, and I was going to wait until I'd finished it all so I wouldn't keep you guys waiting between updates, but then I was like no, I've had this Chapter ready for months now and I'm never going to finish this story if I keep starting each chapter again when I don't like something about it, and I really want to finish this story.
> 
> It's not really an excuse, so I'm really sorry to have such a big gap here. I want to finish this, and I'd like to think that I'll get it all done soon, but I've learned not to guarantee when I'll update, so I'm not going to promise anything except that I will finish this eventually and I just ask that you guys be patient, like you have.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me, and I hope this Chapter makes you guys happy because it's super fluffy. It may seem a little rushed, but I've had this finished for a while and I don't want to change anything because I'll just keep doubting it again. From the big break between this and the last chapter, this is gonna seem super fast so I'd probably recommend re-reading the previous chapter, if not the whole thing again, just so it makes sense, because even I lost it when I re-read this and I was like damn slow down a bit.   
> Anyway, I'm rambling, sorry for the super long note, and the even longer wait, and thank you again for being as patient as you have been. You're absolute Angels <3

**Magnus PV**

When they left the restaurant and got back in the car, Magnus curiously looked out the window to try and identify where they were headed, his hand clasped firmly in Alec’s over the console. It didn’t take long for him to recognise the path and eventually, they pulled up outside the Lightwood’s house near the campus.

Magnus felt a rush of emotion wash through him upon the sight of the house that held so many good memories but each one tainted by the lie that had begun the relationship. Alec seemed to notice his distress as he gently cupped Magnus’ face and kissed his forehead.

“We don’t have to go if you feel uncomfortable here,” he offered but Magnus shook his head.

“No, I want to go. It’s just...it feels weird to be back here but I want to go. Please.”

Alec smiled and pecked his nose before getting out the car, rushing around to the passenger side to open the door for Magnus and offering his hand.

“And they say chivalry is dead,” Magnus teased, feeling a little more like himself knowing that it was only him and Alec and that he had nothing to hide. No more secrets.

“What can I say? You bring the gentleman out from me,” Alec teased back, pulling Magnus along with him to the front door.

As soon as they stepped through, Alec ushered Magnus straight upstairs and to Isabelle’s room.  He frowned, wondering why they couldn’t go to Alec’s room but just went with it anyway.

Once there, Alec handed him a neatly folded onesie with a small towel, makeup removal wipes and a bottle of the face wash and face cream he uses. He had a sheepish expression on his face and Magnus found it far too adorable, his heart singing in his chest with love for the man in front of him.

“Thank you Alexander,” he pressed a kiss to Alec’s cheek and then began to undress, Alec doing the same.

There wasn’t anything sexual about the little touches and lingering stares going on between them, they knew they had all evening and there was no need to rush anything, and so Magnus pulled on his onesie and washed off his makeup while Alec himself got dressed.

Magnus was certain he almost had a heart attack when he saw what Alec was wearing. Just the sight of such a tall man in a onesie was eye-catching, but the _print_ had Magnus positively swooning.

Why did Alec look so delectable in a cow onesie, of all things?

Alec grinned at him, sauntering over and flicking the little ears on Magnus’ own cat onesie.

“How you manage to look cute, hot, adorable and sexy all at once, I’ll never know.” He whispered against Magnus’ lips before connecting them, nibbling on Magnus’ lower lip a little before pulling away.

Magnus chased after those soft, plump lips but Alec held a finger against his, so Magnus accepted what he got and pressed a little kiss against the pad of Alec’s index finger.

“We have time for that later,” he said so quietly that Magnus was surprised it wasn’t whispered. “Right now though, I’ve got another surprise for you.”

“You’re just full of them today, aren’t you?” Magnus smiled and let Alec lead him back downstairs and into the conservatory.

The first thing that caught Magnus’ eye was the mountain of pillows and blankets on the floor by the fireplace that was softly cackling in the corner, blanketing the room in a soft orange hue. Then, his eyes travelled to the large telescope that he instantly recognised as the one Alec bought him for Christmas. He hadn’t been able to use it yet, but one look at the sky showed it to be cloudless and perfect for observing so that was definitely going to change soon.

Magnus spun on his heel and leapt into Alec’s arms, planting tiny little kisses onto his neck all the while grinning like an idiot. He could feel the soft chuckle vibrating from Alec’s chest onto his more than actually hear it, and when he pulled back he saw that there was a blinding smile plastered on Alec’s handsome face.

“I take it that you like the surprise?”

Magnus scoffed and tilted his head up to press a sweet, thanking kiss to Alec’s lips. The hood of the onesie fell back as he did so but Alec pulled it back up, caressing the back of his head too.

“I love it.” Magnus whispered, their lips a hairs breadth apart. “I love you.”

Alec smiled against Magnus lips, soft and private with his eyes portraying so much love that Magnus felt he just might burst from happiness.

“And I love you,” he whispered back before softly pushing Magnus towards the heap of pillows. “Now set that thing up because I have no fucking clue how to do it, and I’m gonna go make some hot chocolate.”

Magnus bit his lip to contain what would have most likely been a giggle and then pecked Alec’s lips before rushing to the telescope to set it up.

He could feel Alec’s eyes on his back for a few moments but he didn’t turn around, too cautious that the no doubt lovesick expression on Alec’s face would definitely be too much for his body to handle right now.

Eventually, he heard retreating footsteps and he continued assembling the telescope before rearranging the pillows and blankets so they could get the best view, though in Magnus’ totally non biased opinion, the best view was by far Alec and Alec only.

When Alec came back out carrying a tray with two steaming mugs and two bowls filled with marshmallows and strawberries, Magnus had everything set up the way he deemed perfect and was lounging back on the pillows, looking through the clear glass roof to see the moon and stars.

He felt the weight settle next to him and then two arms wrap around his waist as a head leaned on his chest.

“This is really nice,” Magnus admitted softly, running his fingers through Alec’s hair.

The picture would have looked ridiculous from an outsider’s point of view, the both of them in their onesies cuddling up like two little kids at a sleepover, but to Magnus it was the most perfect second first date he could have asked for.

“What did you see?” Alec asked jerking his head to the telescope.

“The moon, a couple of constellations and you can see Neptune and Uranus,” Magnus used his fingers to tilt Alec’s chin up so their eyes could meet. “I wanna show you.”

“Okay.”

Alec set the skewered marshmallows down on the frame by the fire so they could toast and then let Magnus pull him into his lap. His hands were softly tracing patterns on Alec’s back as he murmured what Alec was looking at each time causing him to gasp as he saw everything that was so incredibly far away in such detail.

After ten or fifteen minutes, Alec reached over to get their hot chocolate mugs that had cooled down to a drinkable temperature. He pulled off a warm and gooey marshmallow from the skewer and held it between his thumb and forefinger before taking it to Magnus’ lips.

Magnus took the marshmallow into his mouth, gently sucking on Alec’s thumb and finger to leave no traces behind before pulling back and taking a sip of his drink.

It was an insanely intimate moment for something that was otherwise found at every child’s sleepover and campfire, but Magnus waved that thought away, instead opting to feed Alec a strawberry and then take the other half into his own mouth.

That was when Alec pounced, licking into Magnus’ mouth like his life depended on it. He sucked on his lips and his tongue, his own tongue licking into every crevice of Magnus’ mouth as if it were the last time they’d ever kiss.

Magnus let it happen, submitting to it and letting Alec take what he needed until he pulled back leaving them both thoroughly breathless.

“Sorry,” he panted with a sheepish grin. “I just had to...um, do that.”

Magnus dismissed it easily with a soft smile and reached out to take Alec’s hand, intertwining their fingers together. “Never apologise for kissing me my Darling.”

Alec grinned, open and beautiful, and then they were back to feeding each other, drinking their hot chocolate and gazing at the cloudless, starry sky through the telescope.

**Alec PV**

As the night progressed and he curled up into Magnus’ arms, Alec couldn’t have imagined the evening to have gone better.

To see the utter joy on Magnus’ face as he observed the beauties of space was a beauty in itself and Alec couldn’t think of a time that he’d ever been more in love with Magnus.

When the hours passed, their food and drink long gone and the only light coming from the fire that was still steadily going, Alec decided it was time.

“Hey,” Alec said softly, getting Magnus attention as he lightly traced his fingers over Magnus’ covered chest. Magnus hummed, indicating for Alec to go on. “You remember the Christmas party? What I said to you that night?”

Magnus was silent for a moment, most probably going through his memories to find that specific one that Alec so desperately wanted to act upon.

“Yes,” he answered eventually, and Alec could feel that he’d become a little tense, waiting to see what Alec was going to say.

Alec sat up and Magnus followed, staring into his eyes intently. It was as if there was a giant question mark on his face and Alec found it quite adorable, so he leaned in and kissed Magnus softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little box that he’d had ever since his grandparents passed away.

“When my granddad died, you know I got that tattoo on my back for him. And then my grandma died a couple of years after and I got a tattoo for her.” Alec recalled what he’d told Magnus after their first time together, where they’d explored each other’s bodies and opened up like they never had before.

Magnus nodded but didn’t say anything and Alec was grateful that he was giving him time to get this out.

“Izzy and I were super close with them, Max was a bit too young at the time so he doesn’t remember as much but we all loved them and they loved us. Jace too, ever since he was adopted, they never treated him like anything less than a grandson. Granddad died when I was fifteen, and all of his stuff was left in grandma’s name, and then when she died, we got the letters that they both had written for us along with all of their things.” Alec took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering both of the days in vivid detail when he’d lost two of the most important people in his life.

Magnus sat there silently, rubbing small circles on the back of Alec’s hand. He still hadn’t seen the box as Alec had tucked it under his sleeve so Alec knew he was wondering where this whole thing was going but as always, Magnus was patient and understanding, letting Alec confess at his own pace.

“They knew about me before I actually came out, and they said that in the letter. They both told me they wanted me to find the kind of love that makes even the darkest of times brighter, the kind where your heart beats faster every time they’re near you,” Alec took their clasped hands and placed it over his heart so Magnus could feel how fast it was beating. “The kind that really makes life worth living because you know you’ll always have them; you know they’ll always be by your side. You’re that love, Magnus. You’re the one they wanted me to find,” a tear slipped down Magnus’ cheek and Alec wiped it away. Magnus’ hand was still resting over his heart, he seemed frozen in place but even his breathing was getting heavier.

“Grandma gave her wedding ring to Izzy, and she gave me Granddad’s. I was so honoured, to have something that was a part of their incredible love story in my hands, and I knew that I wanted that to carry on when I found the love they wanted for me.” Alec pulled out the box from his sleeve and Magnus gasped, eyeing it with his beautiful green and gold eyes that were steadily flowing with silent tears.

“I told you that I’d marry you someday, and that hasn’t changed, I’ll always want you Magnus...but we’ve got all this stuff going and no matter how much I want to do it right now, it isn’t what you deserve. I want this to happen when there’s no threats looming over us and when you’re safe, when you’ve had your vacation and you’re finally free from the life you’ve been living for the past seven years. The only problem is, I really can’t wait,” Magnus huffed out a laugh at that and Alec grinned, ignoring the tears spilling down his own cheeks.

He opened the box causing Magnus to gasp again but didn’t move to go on one knee, because this wasn’t the proposal that Magnus would eventually get.

“This ring has belonged to you ever since you took my heart Magnus Bane, and though the time isn’t right for this engagement to be official and celebrated properly, I want you to have this so you know that once everything is over, I will get down on one knee and propose to you the way you deserve. So Magnus, baby, will you be engaged to become engaged with me?”

Magnus laughed at that, wetly but still happily. Tears were streaming down his face like a waterfall and Alec wasn’t looking any better.

“I’d be honoured to, Alexander.” He answered, surging forward to cup Alec’s face and kiss him senseless. Their tears mixed together and their kiss was salty but it was perfect in its own way.

Alec took the ring out of the box and held it up by the chain that it was dangling off. “I took the liberty of putting it on this chain because it’s not like a proper engagement and I want you to flaunt the ring on your beautiful hand when I do it properly, one knee and horses and fancy fireworks.” Magnus laughed again but bowed his head, letting Alec slip the chain over him as he added in a whisper, “but for now, it can rest right by your heart where I hope to always be.”

“You will.” Magnus answered simply before capturing Alec’s lips again, gracefully sliding onto his lap and pushing Alec to lie back down.

Magnus’ tongue found its way into Alec’s mouth, licking and caressing his own like a soft _hello, you’re the one_ and Alec’s hands rested on Magnus’ hips, rubbing soothing circles through the material of his onesie.

Magnus’ hands reached for the zipper on his clothes as his lips began trailing down the column of his neck, descending along just after the zip with a whispered “I love you” for each open mouthed kiss.

It would be comical, them getting intimate while wearing onesies, but all Alec could focus on was Magnus’ lips on his chest, soft little licks he’d give across the hardened nubs of Alec’s nipples and the way his hands mapped out Alec’s abdomen shortly before his lips followed.

Alec wriggled out of the arms of his clothing before sitting up, Magnus still perched on his lap, and helping him remove his onesie. His lips latched onto Magnus’ neck, sucking on the soft skin there but he didn’t get much of a chance to continue as Magnus began pushing him back to lie down again.

“Let me make love to you,” Magnus whispered, following Alec back as he hit the soft pillows and kissing him. “Let me take control.”

“Okay,” Alec whispered in response, willing to give anything and everything to Magnus, whatever he asked for Alec would always give.

Magnus kissed all over his body, his hands caressing wherever his lips weren’t attached to until eventually, Alec was laying bare underneath Magnus who was only in his boxers.

The arrow pendant that Magnus gifted Alec for Christmas was resting on his chest while Magnus’ own necklace holding the ring was dangling between them as Magnus hovered over him, simply gazing at Alec with adoring eyes. His thumb was caressing Alec’s cheekbone and his eyes looked like they were trying to read into Alec’s mind.

Alec let it happen, just looked right back into those beautiful golden and green orbs that he’d come to love more than anything. The light from the fireplace was casting shadows all over Magnus’ body and Alec could see the flicker of it reflected in Magnus’ eyes.

In that moment, he really wanted a camera to capture the scene, to capture the simple beauty of it.

Magnus’ voice eventually broke him out of his thoughts, his words a whisper against Alec’s lips. “You make me so happy Alexander. So, so happy.”

It was a very simple statement but Alec’s heart still skipped a beat, his breath still got hitched in his throat and his eyes still glazed over with tears of joy.

Magnus kissed them away, his lips soft and spreading the moisture on Alec’s upper cheeks but he didn’t mind. He would never mind when Magnus kissed him.

His lips began trailing downwards again and once Magnus reached his hips, he gently pulled Alec’s mid section up to place a pillow underneath. He settled himself between Alec’s parted legs, pushing them up a little so Alec’s feet were planted firmly on the floor.

“Tell me when you’re going to come,” Magnus ordered softly and Alec felt a shiver run through his body at the tone. He nodded even though he knew Magnus knew his body by now to know when he was going to come without him voicing it.

Alec felt sweet little butterfly kisses being pressed along his inner thigh, slowly travelling upwards, and them Magnus licked a long stripe from the base to the tip of his cock. He felt his eyes flutter and he gave in, letting them slip shut as he marvelled in the sensation of Magnus’ tongue and lips on him.

Without thinking, Alec’s hands found their way into Magnus’ hair. The product made it a little sticky but Alec could still feel the soft strands as he ran his fingers through it, tugging gently when Magnus began to lick and kiss at the sensitive skin just under his balls.

When he felt the first lick against his hole, Alec shuddered and breathed out Magnus’ name, his hands tightening their hold on Magnus’ dark hair. Magnus continued his ministrations, slowly circling the rim with the tip of his tongue and then sucking on the skin.

Magnus probed in with his tongue and Alec accepted the intrusion instantly, moaning in delight as he felt Magnus massage his inner walls gently.

He gasped when he felt a finger rubbing against his puckered rim while Magnus’ tongue thrust in and out of him and his eyes flew open when all the sensations vanished. He saw Magnus looking at him with lust darkened eyes as he sucked on his fingers, getting them thoroughly wet before he thrust one into Alec knuckle deep.

“Magnus!” Alec moaned at the sudden intrusion. Though the movement was fast and a little rough, Alec only felt pleasure wash through him, especially when the finger began to move and Magnus’ tongue latched back onto him.

Alec was surprised that he didn’t clench around Magnus, it was only a testament to how comfortable he felt with him. How _at home_ he felt.

It was almost too much by the time Magnus had three fingers thrusting in and out of him with his tongue licking and nibbling at his rim where it was nicely stretched. He felt the heat pool in his abdomen and his balls tightened and before he could even tell Magnus he was close, Magnus had pulled away from him leaving his hole quivering, aching to be filled.

“Mag...Magnus,” Alec panted, almost on the verge of tears at the sudden rush of hormones from being denied so abruptly.

“Shh my Darling,” Magnus gently caressed Alec’s face, his breath ghosting over Alec’s lips. “I’ve got you.”

He kissed Alec softly, letting Alec suck on his bottom lip and then entered him in one swift thrust. Alec moaned into Magnus’ mouth at suddenly being so full but it was a burn he relished in, loving the feeling of Magnus’ huge cock splitting him open. He relaxed so quickly that it was almost as if he hadn’t clenched in the first place.

Alec wiggled his hips down as much as he could in his dazed state and moaned in pleasure when the movement caused Magnus to just brush against his prostate.

“Please...Magnus please,” Alec begged.

Magnus began to move, slow and calculated thrusts that just brushed his prostate and in an embarrassingly short amount of time, Alec came untouched between them, too worked up from the prior sensations of Magnus tongue and fingers in him.

It was only when Magnus shuffled a little that Alec realised he was still achingly hard and seated snugly inside Alec and the thought alone had arousal washing over Alec barely five minutes after he came down from his post orgasm high.

Magnus must have sensed it as his hand tentatively reached between them and lightly dragged over his cock.

“Is this okay, my love?” he asked in a whisper, lips only a hairs breadth away from Alec’s ear.

Alec couldn’t manage words, knowing they’d fail him, so he nodded and moaned when Magnus’ hand wrapped around his soft dick, gently moving up and down to bring him to hardness.

Alec didn’t know what had happened to him but somehow he must have been gifted with extra stamina that day as he was fully hard a couple of minutes later, begging Magnus to just _move._

Much to his dismay, Magnus didn’t do that. Instead, he bought his hand up and ran his finger’s over Alec’s parted lips, slowly slipping them in.

Alec sucked on them like his life depended on it, knowing that as long as he complied, Magnus would eventually give him what he wanted.

And he did, in his own way.

Something halfway between a sob and a moan was ripped out of Alec as one of Magnus’ wet fingers circled around his stretched and puffy rim before slowly pushing in alongside his already seated cock.

He gently thrust it in and out causing moans and pleas to fall from Alec’s lips as Magnus shuddered above him, feeling the finger slide against his throbbing erection that was already held in Alec’s tight heat.

“Magnus,” Alec breathed out, head thrown back in pleasure. “Magnus if you-you don’t stop I’m gonna...m’gonna come.”

And suddenly, the two fingers pulled out of him and both of Magnus’ hands came up, trailing across Alec’s arms until they found his hands to intertwine their fingers and plant their locked hands on either side of Alec’s head.

Magnus hovered above him, his necklace dangling over Alec’s chest and the cool metal on his heated skin made him shiver. He pulled out to the tip, dragging along Alec’s walls oh so slowly before thrusting back in so hard the breath got knocked out of Alec.

He set a merciless pace and Alec _loved_ it.

The whole night had been gentle and sweet touches. Magnus prepared him as if he had all the time in the world, and then he made love to him until Alec came apart beneath him.

But now, Alec _needed_ release, and as always, Magnus knew exactly what he wanted and he gave it without hesitation, pounding into Alec until they both screamed the other’s name as they came.

Magnus collapsed on top of him, their chests sweaty and covered in Alec’s come while Alec milked Magnus’ cock, relishing in the feel of his hot come spurting inside of him.

Alec didn’t think he’d ever had more romantic sex, and the fact that they made love under the stars and in front of a fireplace that was their only source of light made it all the more perfect.

What felt like hours but was only a couple of minutes later, Magnus gently eased up off of him and pulled his soft cock out causing them both to wince at the overstimulation. Alec felt Magnus’ come dribble out of his quivering hole and heard the hum of appreciation from Magnus above him.

He cracked an eye open and saw Magnus smiling down at him softly, his hands gently rubbing up and down Alec’s thighs to soothe the aches that would no doubt form over night.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked in a murmured whisper, one of his hands teasingly moving over his hip so he could swirl a finger around in the mess covering Alec’s chest.

Alec nodded, watching with hooded eyes as Magnus bought that finger up to his mouth and sucked on it, his expression almost indifferent as if he didn’t even realise what he was doing.

“There’s a-” Alec paused, cleared his hoarse throat and began again, “there’s another surprise waiting upstairs.”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re pregnant, are you?” Magnus joked, poking at Alec’s belly button causing him to let out a soft giggle from the tickling sensation.

He didn’t bother to dignify Magnus with an answer, instead choosing to stand on legs that felt like pure jelly and pick up their discarded tray of hot chocolate and food, even as he felt Magnus’ come trickle down his inner thigh. He heard Magnus hum approvingly behind him and wiggled his ass a little for show, grinning when he heard the sharp intake of breath.

Alec quickly tidied as much as he could of the mini pile of blankets and pillows and then put out the fire, the moonlight and stars their only source of light as he walked into the kitchen with the tray and put everything away. The soft patter of bare feet told him Magnus had followed behind him silently, and once he was done, he took Magnus’ hand and led him up the flight of stairs and into his room.

Magnus grinned once he saw the electric candles placed all over the room and the rose petals on the bed, a small trail leading to the bathroom where more candlelight flickered.

“You are a hopeless romantic,” Magnus commented, his voice a quiet murmur to add to the calm and serene atmosphere surrounding them.

“I wasn’t aware of that trait until you came along, but I’m embracing it fully now,” Alec replied, his voice not in the slightest teasing or joking and instead as if he were merely making a fact.

Magnus patted at his bottom a little, his hand still clasped tightly in Alec’s, and then they walked to the bathroom where Alec perched him on the edge of the tub as he turned the water on and added lavender salts.

It was all very quiet and calm from there, Alec settling against Magnus’ chest in the water as they talked in soft whispers about anything and everything.

When they retired to bed – the petals scattering around them in a frenzy as they flopped down completely naked – Magnus pulled Alec’s front against his chest and tucked his face into the crook of his neck, his breath a warm puff of air against Alec’s skin.

“I don’t think I could ever live without you,” Magnus muttered, his lips tickling Alec as they moved.

“It’s a good thing you won’t ever have to then,” Alec replied just as softly, pressing a kiss against Magnus’ hair and snuggling even closer, a soft smile forming on his face as he felt the cool metal of the ring around Magnus’ neck on his bare chest.

He couldn’t wait to put the same ring on Magnus’ finger instead.


End file.
